I 

I 


m^^ 


^                                PRINCETON,    N.  J. 

Purchased  by  the  Hammill   Missionary  Fund. 

1 

BV    3150    .C63    1893 

Cobb,    Henry  Nitchie,    1834- 

1910. 
Far   hence 

.s^^t' 


i 


IN    THE    DESERT 


FAR  HENCE 


A    BUDGET    OF    LETTERS    FROM    OUR 
MISSION  FIELDS    IN    ASIA 


BY 

HENRY    N.'  COBB,    D.D 


PUBLISHED   BY 

WOMAN'S  BOARD  OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS,  R.  C.  A. 

25  EAST  22D  STREET,  NEW  YORK 


Copyrighted  1893,  by  the  Woman's  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  R.  C.  A. 


AUTHOR'S  NOTE. 

It  was  never  the  intention  or  expectation  of  the  writer 
that  the  letters  contained  in  this  volume  should  see  the 
light  otherwise  than  in  the  columns  of  the  Christian  Ifitelli- 
gencer^  in  which  they  originally  appeared.  Hastily  written, 
as  a  running  record  of  a  tour  made  with  a  specific  object 
in  view  and  with  certain  definite  limitations,  they  have 
seemed  to  him  too  narrow  in  their  scope  and  incomplete 
in  contents,  to  afford  matter  of  general  interest.  He  does 
not  otherwise  view  them  now.  But  it  has  been  so  strongly 
represented  to  him  that  their  publication  in  their  present 
form  might  be  of  use  in  increasing  among  our  churches 
the  interest  felt  in  our  missions  in  Asia,  and  the  desire  for 
such  publication  has  been  so  often  and  so  kindly  ex- 
pressed, that  he  has  no  choice  but  freely  to  yield  his  own 
judgment  to  that  of  others  who  are  entitled  to  and  have 
his  highest  regard.  Especially  is  this  true  of  the  Woman's 
Board,  at  whose  request  they  are  given  to  the  press. 
Had  he  the  necessary  time  they  should  have  been  sub- 
jected to  careful  revision  and  enlargement.  But  he  has 
not.  Such  as  they  were  originally  they  must  remain, 
and  are  here  presented.  If  the  Lord  shall  own  them,  in 
any  small  degree,  for  the  advancement  of  His  work,  the 
importance,  success  and  blessedness  of  which  have  grown 
upon  him  immeasurably  by  reason  of  the  experiences 
which  they  record,  the  writer  will  be  more  than  satisfied. 

H.  N.  C. 


INSCRIPTION. 

To  those  ladies  of  the  Woman's  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  America,  whose 
generous  kindness  made  the  journey  recorded  in  them 
possible,  these  letters  are  gratefully  inscribed. 


INTRODUCTION. 

"  And  when  this  epistle  is  read  among  you,  cause  that 
it  be  read  also  in  the  church  of  the  Laodiceans,  and  that 
ye  likewise  read  the  epistle  from  Laodicea. — Col.  iv,  i6. 

Our  New  Testament  would  have  been  much  smaller  if 
it  had  not  been  the  habit  of  the  apostle  to  write  letters 
to  the  churches  and  the  disciples,  and  it  would  have  been 
larger  by  at  least  one  letter  had  not  the  letter  to  the 
Laodiceans  been  lost. 

This  little  book  binds  together  some  letters  written  to 
all  our  churches.  Those  who  have  already  read  the  letters, 
will  the  more  value  the  volume  that  collects  them. 
Those  who  have  not,  will  find  them  a  literature  of  much 
significance  to  our  Reformed  Churches. 

They  are  the  word  sent  back  to  us  by  our  Secretary 
from  our  mission  stations  in  foreign  lands,  while  he  was 
visiting  among  them.  Upon  him  daily  had  come,  for 
many  years,  the  care  of  all  these  churches,  and  to  go  to 
visit  them,  to  see  the  workers  at  their  work,  to  see  the 
fruit  of  their  toil  and  the  needs  of  their  days,  has  given 
him  words  for  us  that  will  quicken  our  sense  of  their 
need  of  us  together  with  him. 

We  feel,  perhaps,  had  we  passed  on  the  road  to  Jericho 
the  man  "wounded  and  bleeding  and  half  dead,"  we 
would  have  acted  the  part  of  the  Good  Samaritan.  But 
we  forget  it  was  not  inhumanity,  that  made  the  priest 
and  the  Levite  cross  to  the  other  side,  but  the  prejudices 
of  an  unenlightened  religious  education.  They  had  passed 
by  the  teaching  of  "  judgment  and  mercy  and  the  love 
of  God,"  and  so  they  passed  by  the  man  who  had  fallen 
among  thieves. 


INTRODUCTION. 

A  thoughtful  knowledge  in  the  minds  of  those  who  are 
caHei  Christians,  of  the  mission  of  Christianity  in  the 
world,  would  keep  us  from  such  blind  passing  by  of  the 
needs  of  men  and  women  and  from  an  unsympathetic 
neglect  of  those  who  are  working  for  them. 

May  these  letters  bring  so  vividly  to  us  the  work  of 
those  who  are  bringing  the  ''  Gospel  to  them  that  are 
bound"  that  our  part  in  furthering  the  work  w411  be  done 
with  more  heartiness  and  hopefulness  than  ever  before. 
Work  for  the  world  !  That  Christianity  of  to-day  may 
appear  better  in  the  eyes  of  the  future,  than  Judaism  in 
the  parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan.  M.  B.  L. 


\^m^^Slb. 


CONTENTS. 


Introduction  ....... 

CHAPTER. 

I.  Cairo  and  the  Khedive       .... 
II.  The  Mission  and  the  Mosque 

III.  Aden  and  the  Arabian  Mission     . 

IV.  Bombay  and  the  Parsees  .... 
V.   Welcome  to  the  Arcot  Field 

VI.  The  Arcot  Classis  and  Mission,  and  Work  at  Arni    . 
VII.  Station  and  Village  Work  .... 
VIII.  Vellore  Town,  Temple  and  Schools     . 

IX.  Among  the  Hills     ..... 
X.  Coonoor  to  Palmaner,  and  the  Theological  Seminary 
XI.   Madanapalle,  by  way  of  Punganoor 
XII.  Among  the  Telugu  Villages     .... 

XIII.  Chittoor,  Katpadi  and  Arcot 

XIV.  Old  Arcot,  and  the  Gudiyatam  Conference     . 
XV.  Silent  Preachers      ..... 

XVI.   Madura  Temples  and  Mission 
XVII.   Pleasing  Prospects  in  Ceylon 
XVIII.  Missions  and  Mountain  Views  at  Kandy 
XIX.  Tropical  Seas  and  Scenes 
XX.  A  Flying  Visit  to  Canton 
XXI.  Mission  Homes  and  Schools  in  China 
XXII.   Up  the  Lun  River  by  Sail  and  Pole    . 

XXIII.  Homes,  Hospitals  and  Hospitality  at  Sio-Khe    . 

XXIV.  Amoy  Streets,  Sights,  Sounds  and  Smells 
XXV.  The  Amoy  Churches  .... 


PAGE 

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II 
i6 

22 
29 

34 
39 
44 
50 

55 
59 
64 
6S 
76 
83 
88 

97 
103 
108 
117 
124 
134 
145 
155 
163 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER.  PAGE- 

XXVI.   Among  the  Chinese  Christians             .              .  .      169 

XXVII,  Churches,  Towns  and  Temples  on  Amoy  Island  176 

XXVIII.  Welcome  to  Japan  and  Ferris  Seminary          .  .     185 

XXIX.  By  Rail  to  Tokyo  and  the  Meiji  Gakuin               .  igi 

XXX.  Beautiful  Nikko,  and  thence  to  Sendai           .  .     198 

XXXt.   Matsushima  and  Morioka              .  206 

XXXII.  Glimpses  of  Tokyo         .             .             .             .  .214 

XXXIII.  Kobe,  the  Inland  Sea  and  Nagasaki         .  223 

XXXIV.  Kyoto,  the  Western  Capital      ....     232 
XXXV.   Last  Look  at  Yokohama     ....  241 


FAR   HENCE 

A  Bitdffct  of  Letters  from  our  Mission  Fields  in  Asia 


CHAPTER   I. 

CAIRO     AND    THE     KHEDIVE. 

Dear  Friends  at  Home :  ^^^^^^  January  i6,  1892 

Reason  would,  perhaps,  that  I  should  have  written 
you  before.  But  the  conditions  of  our  hurried  trip 
across  Europe  have  hardly  been  favorable  to  corres- 
pondence. Had  I  written  you  from  London,  I  fear  my 
letter  would  have  been  surcharged  with  the  gloom  and 
cheerlessness  of  one  of  the  heaviest  of  "  black  fogs  " 
which  that  unhappy  city  has  known  for  years.  London 
weather  is  rarely  of  the  best  at  any  time.  A  fine  day 
in  London,  Emerson  declared  in  his  "  English  Traits,"' 
to  be  "like  looking  up  a  chimney,"  which  may,  perhaps, 
have  been  somewhat  slanderous.  "A  foul  day,"  says 
the  same  authority,  "is  like  looking  down  a  chimney," 
and  that  is  the  simple  truth  concerning  a  "black  fog." 
For  a  week  the  whole  city  sat,  if  not  in  sackcloth  and 
ashes,  in  darkness  and  soot.  Day  was  turned  into  night. 
Gas  and  electric  lights  failed  to  dispel  or  even  greatly  to 
illuminate  the  gloom.  One  hardly  dared  venture 
abroad  for  fear  of  getting  lost.  The  eyes  and  throat 
smarted  with  the  sulphurous  vapors  with  which  the  fog 
was  charged,  and  black  soot  sat  on  everything.  The 
smoky  atmosphere  penetrated  and  filled  the  houses  and 
churches.  Under  such  gloomy  auspices  Christmas  came 
and  went,  and  not  till  the  following  Sunday  did  the  sun 
shine,  nor  was  it  possible  to  see  across  the  street. 


8  FAR    HENCE 

Even  sunny  France  and  Northern  Italy  were  infested 
with  fog,  and  the  latter  covered  with  snow.  A  letter 
from  Turin,  or  Venice  or  Bologna,  had  it  reflected  our 
physical  condition,  would  have  given  you  the  "  shivers." 
In  fact,  all  Italy  was  shivering,  as  far  down  as  Rome  and 
even  Naples.  Of  two  glorious  days  only,  one  in  Venice 
and  the  other  in  Rome,  could  it  be  possible  to  speak 
with  "  warmth." 

How  different  is  Cairo  !  Here  the  sun  shines  warm 
on  streets  and  houses.  Here  the  trees  are  all  in  leaf  and 
the  roses  in  full  bloom.  To  live  is  a  delight,  and  to 
look  out  upon  the  crowds  that  fill  the  streets  and  squares 
an  experience  never  to  be  forgotten.  Such  a  comming- 
ling of  races,  such  a  variety  of  color  and  costume  it  is 
not  possible  to  see  elsewhere  except,  perhaps,  in  Con- 
stantinople. Those  who  remain  here  any  length  of 
time  become  enamored  of  the  life  and  climate.  To  stray 
travelers  like  ourselves  they  are  simply  and  supremely 
fascinating. 

We  have  been  fortunate  in  the  time  of  our  advent. 
The  late  Khedive,  Tewfik  Pacha,  died,  as  you  are  aware, 
on  the  7th.  His  son  and  heir.  Abbas  Pacha,  now  Abbas 
II.,  was  absent  at  school  in  Austria,  and  this  is  the 
earliest  day  on  which  he  could  reach  the  capital.  So 
from  early  morning  the  city  has  been  all  agog.  That 
air  of  suppressed  excitement  which  betokens  the  expect- 
ancy of  some  great  event  was  everywhere  manifest.  The 
signs  of  mourning  which  were  to  be  seen  two  days  ago 
have  disappeared,  and  decorations  and  waving  banners 
in  honor  of  the  new  sovereign  are  the  order  of  the  day. 
"The  king  is  dead.  Long  live  the  king."  The  streets 
are  filled  to  overflowing  with  excited  throngs,  especially 
those  through  which  the  royal  procession  is  to  pass.  All 
Cairo  is  abroad.  The  hurrying  to  and  fro  of  mounted 
couriers,  and  officers  splendid  in  gold  lace  and  embroid- 


FAR    HENCE  9 

ery,  the  passing  of  detachments  of  troops,  of  carriages 
bearing  officials  and  dignitaries  or  ladies  of  high  degree, 
with  their  gayly  ornamented  saices  or  runners  clearing 
the  way,  all  add  to  the  excitement  and  brilliancy  of  the 
spectacle. 

Word  comes  that  the  ''  Ferdinand  Maximilian,"  bear- 
ing the  hope  of  Egypt,  has  arrived  at  Alexandria  at 
about  eight  o'clock  a.  M.,and  that  the  new  Khedive  may 
be  expected  in  Cairo  at  two  o'clock.  The  railroad 
station  has  been  made  brave  with  decorations  of  garlands 
and  exotic  plants,  while  a  sumptuous  carpet  is  spread 
for  the  royal  feet  to  tread  upon.  Before  the  station  are 
drawn  up  detachments  of  Egyptian  and  English  troops, 
while  similar  detachments  are  posted  in  the  square  front- 
ing the  Abdin  Palace,  whither  the  sovereign  is  to  be 
escorted.  As  the  hour  of  his  arrival  approaches,  the 
crowd  settles  down  into  comparative  quietness  upon  the 
streets,  so  far  as  movement  is  concerned.  But  the  noise 
of  their  voices  is  literally  "■  like  the  sound  of  many 
waters  "  as  it  comes  to  our  ears.  It  is  itself  a  spectacle 
to  admire  ;  not  like  the  dense  and  sombre  crowd  of  an 
Occidental  city,  but  variegated  and  lit  up  with  all  the 
colors  of  the  Orient.  It  is  an  orderly  crowd,  too.  Though 
it  is  estimated  that  at  least  100,000  people  witnessed  the 
procession,  so  excellent  were  the  provisions  made  and  so 
admirable  the  conduct  of  the  people,  that  no  disorders 
occurred. 

Prompt  to  the  minute,  the  guns  at  the  station  an- 
nounced the  arrival  of  the  Khedival  train,  and  were 
immediately  answered  by  the  guns  at  the  royal  palace. 
Expectation  stood  on  tiptoe.  Soon  three  lancers  opened 
the  way,  followed  at  short  intervals  by  companies  of 
mounted  troops.  Then,  in  an  open  barouche,  drawn  by 
six  splendid  horses  and  accompanied  by  twelve  Kavasses 
all    splendid   in   purple  and   gold,  came   the  young  man 


10  FAR   HENCE 

himself,  in  whom  all  interest  centered  and  toward 
whom  all  eyes  were  turned.  Answering  with  his  right 
hand  the  salutes  and  acclamations  with  which  he  was 
greeted,  be  bore  modestly  and  well  the  ordeal  and  the 
honors.  His  appearance  is  prepossessing,  and  his  whole 
conduct  since  the  death  of  his  father  has  won  high  enco- 
miums. His  appearance  would  indicate  more  years  than 
the  seventeen  with  which  he  is  credited.  As  he  passed 
on,  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people  passed  all  bounds,  and 
hundreds  broke  from  the  crowd,  filled  the  spaces  between 
the  carriage  and  the  guard  of  honor  before  and  behind, 
dancing,  shouting,  clapping  their  hands  and  singing, 
moving  along  with  the  procession  till  it  reached  the 
palace.  Then  he  dismounted  and  entered,  and  cere- 
nonies  of  presentation,  etc.,  took  place,  to  which  the 
public  were  not  admitted. 

The  new  Khedive  is  well  spoken  of,  both  for  his  con- 
duct and  proficiency  in  the  studies  he  has  pursued,  and 
had  made  himself  very  popular  among  his  comrades  by 
his  kindly  and  unassuming  manners.  On  the  way  to 
Cairo  he  is  said  to  have  made  many  inquiries  as  to  the 
condition  of  the  country  and  people,  the  progress  of 
agriculture,  methods  of  irrigation,  etc.  In  short,  he 
seems  to  have  made  a  very  favorable  impression. 

There  is  an  ugly  rumor  current  to-night  that,  just 
before  he  entered  the  palace  he  was  shot  at,  and  that 
two  Arabs  were  cut  down  by  the  police  for  this  attempt 
upon  his  life.  This  is  ascribed  to  the  fact  that  he  is 
understood  to  be  very  much  in  love  with  the  English 
people,  and  favorable  to  the  continuance  of  the  English 
occupation.  I  have  not  been  able  to  verify  the  rumor, 
however,  and  doubt  its  correctness.  But  how  little  to  be 
envied  is  he,  who,  in  his  youth,  comes  to  the  throne  with 
such  perplexity  and  burdensome  problems  as  now  con- 
front him,  to  reign  over  an  impoverished  people. 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE    MISSION    AND    THE    MOSQUE. 

Red  Sea,  S.  S.  "  Oceana,"  January  23 
We  were  obliged  to  leave  Cairo  a  day  earlier  than  we 
expected,  in  order  to  catch  the  P.  &  O.  steamer  for 
Bombay,  for  which,  however,  we  had  to  wait  a  long 
eighteen  hours  at  Ismailia.  Some  of  our  observations 
and  experiences  at  Cairo  may  still  be  of  interest. 

The  Mission  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church  is  in 
a  very  prosperous  condition,  and  it  was  exceedingly 
gratifying  to  visit  its  excellent  school  and  come  in  con- 
tact with  its  workers.  Their  main  building  is  admirably 
located,  in  the  very  centre  of  the  new  "  Ismailiyeh  " 
quarter,  near  the  principal  hotels,  and  very  close  to  the 
fine  garden  of  the  Esbekiyeh.  It  occupies  the  whole  of 
a  block  or  square,  which  came  into  possession  of  the 
mission  in  a  remarkable  and  Providential  way,  as  related 
to  me  by  Dr.  Watson. 

The  mission  had  formerly  possessed  a  site  and  build- 
ing at  the  end  of  the  Muski  street,  to  which,  however, 
they  had  no  legal  title.  A  former  Khedive,  desirous  of 
making  some  improvements,  found  this  school  in  his 
way  and  sought  to  purchase  it.  His  first  offer  was  of 
;^i,ooo,  which  was  at  once  refused.  After  prolonged 
negotiations  he  was  finally  induced  to  raise  the  amount 
to  jCt^ooo,  which  was  accepted  ;  but  the  mission  found 
themselves  without  a  local  habitation.  They  intimated 
to  the  Khedive  that  while  they  might,  if  they  chose,  take 
his  money  and  return  to  America  with  it,  they  had  no 
such  desire.  They  wished  to  have  a  school  and  a  place 
tO  put  it,  and  as  they   had   given   up  their  old   site   to 


12  FAR    HENCE 

gratify  him,  he  ought  to  give  them  a  new  one.  This  he 
finally  did,  and  the  mission  are  now  in  possession,  with 
full  legal  title,  of  their  present  admirable  location  as  the 
gift  of  the  Khedive.  On  it  they  have  erected  a  fine  stone 
building  at  a  cost  of  $85,000,  almost  the  entire  sum  hav- 
ing been  raised  in  Cairo  by  Drs.  Lansing  and  Watson, 
and  the  building  erected  under  their  direct  and  personal 
superintendence.  It  is  a  monument  to  their  Christian 
zeal,  patient  industry,  rigid  economy  and  wise  foresight. 
In  it  are  housed  not  only  the  families  of  the  missionaries 
living  in  Cairo,  but  the  Girls'  School  and  the  Theological 
Seminary.  A  fine  chapel  and  large  school  and  class- 
rooms are  also  included  within  its  walls.  It  was  my 
privilege  to  attend  the  Sunday-school  last  Sunday  morn- 
ing, visit  some  of  the  classes,  and  go  up  with  them  into 
the  chapel  for  the  Arabic  service,  and  also  to  be  present 
at  the  opening  exercises  of  the  day-school  on  Monday 
morning.  The  missionaries  whom  we  met,  Messrs. 
Watson  and  Giffen  and  their  wives,  were  kindness  itself, 
but  we  were  unfortunate  in  not  being  able  to  meet  Dr. 
Lansing,  who  was  up  the  Nile. 

Beside  the  services  at  this  centre,  others  are  held  at 
different  points  in  Cairo  on  Sunday  afternoon,  while 
Cairo  itself  is  but  one  of  several  important  stations, 
Alexandria,  Assioot,  Luxor  and  Monsoora,  occupied  by 
this  old  and  successful  mission.  After  thirty-seven  years 
of  faithful  labor,  it  now  has  286  workers,  108  schools, 
with  6,696  scholars,  131  preaching  places,  109  Sunday- 
schools  with  4,421  scholars,  29  organized  congregations 
with  3,155  communicants  and  an  average  Sabbath  attend- 
ance of  over  6,000.  The  total  amount  paid  by  natives  in 
[891  was  $26,321.  This  appears  to  include  not  only 
their  contributions,  but  also  tuition  fees  and  proceeds 
from  the  sale  of  books. 

It  was  cheering  to  come  into  contact  with  such  a  work. 


FAR    HENCE  13 

An  intelligent  young  gentleman  whom  T  met  at  the 
school  informed  me  that  he  and  nearly  all  his  fellow 
employees  in  the  post-office  at  Cairo  had  received  their 
education  there,  "  and,  best  of  all,"  he  added,  ''was  the 
knowledge  of  God."  Yet  last  evening,  on  the  deck  of 
this  steamer,  a  gentleman  from  New  York,  now  on  his 
way  round  the  world,  confided  to  me  his  conviction  that 
missionaries  were  doing  nothing,  and  could  do  nothing 
among  these  Eastern  peoples,  rehashing  a  number  of  the 
trashy  stories  every  traveler  hears,  to  their  discredit. 
"  Did  you  see  any  mission  work  in  Cairo  ? "  I  asked  him. 
"Why, no  I  didn't  know  there  was  any  there."  When 
I  related  to  him  what  I  had  myself  seen,  he  expressed 
great  surprise,  and  promised  that  in  visiting  the  princi- 
pal cities  of  India  and  China  he  would  make  it  his  busi- 
ness to  inquire  for  and  examine  into  such  mission  work 
as  might  be  found  there.  It  is  from  just  such  "intelli- 
gent observations"  of  "unprejudiced  travelers"  that 
impressions  go  abroad,  and  are  by  many  gladly  received, 
that  missionaries  are  doing  nothing,  and  their  pretended 
work  is  a  failure. 

The  Mohammedan  University  in  the  Mosque  El-Azhar 
is  separated  from  the  American  Mission  by  a  consider- 
able distance.  A  far  larger  interval  separates  them  as 
to  their  objects  and  character.  As  the  latter  is  the  chief 
centre  from  which  the  light  of  Christian  truth  is  being 
disseminated  throughout  Egypt,  the  former  is  the  most 
important  university  and  centre  of  propagation  of 
Islam  in  the  Mohammedan  world. 

The  mosque  itself,  though  ancient,  has  little  about  it 
that  is  specially  interesting  or  attractive.  In  fact,  like 
some  old  churches  in  Europe,  it  is  so  built  about  by 
houses,  on  narrow  streets,  that  it  is  impossible  to  get  any 
considerable  view  of  the  exterior.  We  found  the  interior, 
also,  in  a  state  of  great  and  unprepossessing  confusion. 


14  FAR    HENCE 

as  the  great  court  is  undergoing  extensive  repairs.  Bricks 
and  blocks  of  stone  and  sticks  of  timber  lay  strewn  all 
over  it,  and  workmen  were  busily  engaged.  These  opera- 
tions, however,  did  not  interfere,  apparently,  with  the 
work  of  study  or  instruction. 

The  mosque  is  said  to  have  been  converted  into  a 
university  in  the  year  378  of  the  Hegira  (the  Mohamme- 
dan era),  or  975-6  a.  d.  To  it  students  gather  from 
every  Mohammedan  country.  Special  sections  or  colon- 
nades are  set  apart  for  the  students  from  different  coun- 
tries, or  the  different  provinces  of  Egypt.  There  seems 
to  be  no  limit  as  to  age,  and  none  as  to  the  length  of 
time  during  which  study  may  be  pursued.  We  noticed 
boys  of  hardly  eight  years  sitting  by  the  side  of  gray- 
bearded  men,  rocking  back  and  forth  and  repeating 
audibly  the  lessons  they  were  committing.  A  universal 
hum  or  buzz  pervaded  the  entire  building,  which  would 
be  fatal  to  study,  were  study  a  matter  of  thought.  It  is 
rather  a  matter  of  memory — committing  by  rote — which 
is,  perhaps,  facilitated  by  audible  utterance.  The  teach- 
ers go  from  class  to  class,  or  sit  on  the  floor  amid  their 
students,  and  lecture  to  them  or  read  aloud  from  books 
placed  on  desks  before  them. 

The  seventeen  corridors  include  spaces  for  Turks 
(from  the  northern  part  of  the  Turkish  Empire),  Syrians, 
Persians,  Indians  and  those  from  various  parts  of  Egypt, 
Arabia  and  Africa.  The  attendant  who  accompanied 
us,  jealously  watching  lest  the  inevitable  and  irrepressi- 
ble Kodak  should  get  in  its  work,  against  which  we  had 
been  warned  at  the  gate,  informed  us  in  answer  to 
inquiry  that  when  the  classes  were  full  there  were  12,000 
students.  This  was  probably  an  exaggeration,  intended 
to  magnify  the  importance  of  the  school  in  the  eyes  of 
the  unbeliever.  Certainly  there  were  not  half  that  num- 
ber present  on  the  day  of  our  visit,  nor  is  it  easy  to  see 


FAR    HENCE  15 

how  so  many  could  be  accommodated.  Nevertheless, 
the  number  must  be  very  large,  and  there  can  be  no 
question  of  the  zeal  of  instructors  or  instructed. 

The  course  of  instruction  embraces  no  vestige  of 
Western  or  modern  literature,  learning  or  science,  but  is 
confined  exclusively  to  the  sacred  language  (Arabic) 
books  and  doctrines  of  El-Islam.  Great  as  the  influence 
of  the  university  is,  and  must  continue  to  be  for  a  long 
time  to  come,  its  learning  and  wisdom  are  yet  things  of 
the  past,  and  doomed  to  disappear  at  length  before  the 
spirit  of  progress  and  the  Word  and  Spirit  of  Christ. 

I  wish  I  had  time  to  tell  you  of  all  the  events  in  the 
delightful  week  spent  in  Cairo;  of  our  visit  to  Heliopolis, 
to  the  Citadel,  of  the  day  spent  in  the  desert  visiting 
the  Sphinx  and  the  Pyramids,  the  largest  of  which, 
Cheops,the  more  adventurous  spirits  of  our  party  climbed, 
being  rewarded  by  a  most  magnificent  and  unique 
view.  On  one  side  the  dreary  waste  of  desert  sands  ; 
on  the  other,  beautiful  Cairo  with  its  Citadel,  its  mosques 
and  minarets — but  I  must  not  linger. 


CHAPTER  III. 

ADEN    AND    THE    ARABIAN    MISSfON. 

P.  &  O.  S.  S.  "Thames,"  January  26 
The  "  Oceana,"  on  which  we  embarked  at  Ismailia, 
was  bound  for  Australia.  This  made  necessary  a  trans- 
fer at  Aden  to  the  Bombay  steamer  on  Vv^hich  we  are 
now  ploughing  the  Arabian  Sea.  The  dire  tales  of  the 
extreme  heat  on  the  Red  Sea,  with  which  our  ears  had 
been  filled,  were  all  falsified  in  fact,  and  our  experience 
has  been  delightful  in  the  highest  degree.  The  officers 
of  both  vessels  assure  us  that  we  have  been  favored  with 
an  unusually  cool  season.  An  English  Admiral  on 
board  has  contrived  to  manufacture  a  grievance  out  of 
this  freak,  or  turn,  of  fortune,  declaring  that  he  has 
made  the  voyage  many  times,  and  never  found  it  so 
cool  before.  Now  there  is  not  heat  enough  (79  deg.  F.) 
to  enable  him  to  get  up  his  accustomed  thirst  !  Need- 
less to  say  that  his  disappointment  is  one  with  which 
we  hardly  sympathize,  though  the  barkeeper  may. 

The  sea,  too,  has  been  and  still  is  calm  and  quiet,  and 
but  for  the  beautiful  blue  and  broad  expanse  of  water, 
it  would  be  easy  to  fancy  ourselves  on  the  surface  of 
the  Hudson  on  a  warm  summer  afternoon.  The  appear- 
ance of  land,  of  which  we  have  had  but  few  glimpses, 
however,  is  sufficient  at  once  to  dispel  such  an  illusion. 
The  green  slopes,  and  wooded  heights,  the  thriving 
towns  and  smiling  villages  are  wanting.  The  barren- 
ness of  ragged  rocks,  sharp  and  jagged  steeps,  or  sterile 
deserts  without  a  trace  of  human  habitation,  is  all  that 
met  our  eyes  till  we  came  to  Aden.  Nor  even  there  was 
there  any  green  thing  to  be  seen. 


STREET  SCENE— ADEN  INDIA. 


FAR    HENCE  17 

Scarcely  had  we  dropped  anchor  in  the  outer  harbor, 
at  9  o'clock  yesterday  morning,  when  the  tall  form  and 
smiling  face  of  our  good  brother,  the  Rev.  S.  M.  Zwemer, 
of  the  Arabian  Mission,  appeared  on  deck,  and  hands 
were  firmly  grasped  in  cordial  greeting.  It  was  a  pleas- 
ure we  had  been  looking  forward  to  and  should  have 
been  most  sorry  to  miss — only  marred  by  the  absence  of 
his  comrade,  Brother  Cantine,  who  is  now  in  Busrah. 
After  careful  examination  of  various  points,  these 
brethren  have  decided  to  establish  themselves  at  that 
place,  and  Brother  Cantine  has  now  been  there  some 
weeks.  Thither  Brother  Zwemer  expects  to  turn  his 
steps  in  a  day  or  two,  having  kindly  delayed  his  depart- 
ure on  our  account.  With  such  slight  knowledge  as  I 
have  of  all  the  facts  in  the  case,  it,  of  course,  becomes 
me  to  speak  with  caution.  But  a  glance  at  the  map 
would  seem  to  show  that  Busrah  possesses  considerable 
advantages  for  a  new  and  successful  mission.  At  the 
head  of  the  Persian  Gulf,  within  easy  access  by  boat  of 
a  large  population  along  the  Arabian  coast  and  in  the 
valleys  of  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris,  being  also  in  com- 
munication with  the  outside  world,  yet  with  no  mission- 
aries located  there,  by  whom  their  coming  might  be  re- 
garded as  an  intrusion,  their  choice  would  seem  to  be  a 
wise  one.  As  a  place  of  residence  I  should  judge  it  to 
be  preferable  to  Aden,  where  the  climate  in  hot  weather 
(as  I  was  assured  by  a  junior  officer  of  the  ^'Thames") 
*'  has  only  a  sheet  of  brown  paper  between  it  and  ." 

It  was  cheering  to  find  our  brother  in  good  health  and 
cheerful  spirit,  to  note  his  courage  and  interest  in  the 
work  and  people,  and  the  readiness  with  which  he  is  al- 
ready able  to  communicate  with  them.  It  was  also 
pleasant,  and  characteristic  of  the  man,  to  learn  that  his 
interest  has  not  been  confined  to  the  native  residents — 
Arabs,  Somalis,  Swahilis,  etc.,  of  whose  kindliness  and 


1 8  FAR    HENCE 

freedom  from  bigotry  he  spoke  emphatically — but  that 
he  has  also  engaged  in  labors  for  the  spiritual  welfare 
of  the  British  garrison  stationed  here.  Denied  the  use 
of  the  English  chapel  by  the  chaplain,  he  pointed  out  to 
us  the  humble  building  in  which  he  was  accustomed  to 
hold  meetings  with  the  soldiers,  where  they  *'  had  a  de- 
lightful meeting  last  night,  and  expect  to  have  another 
to-night."  To  them,  doubtless,  his  departure  will  be  a 
loss. 

The  Keith-Falconer  Mission  was  pointed  out  to  us,  ly- 
ing some  six  miles  to  the  north  of  the  city,  and  now  oc- 
cupied by  two  missionaries  only.  The  location  has 
proved  unhealthy,  being  exposed  to  pestilential  fevers^ 
to  which  the  noble  and  lamented  founder  fell  a  victim 
but  six  months  after  his  arrival.  This,  and  the  mission 
composed  of  Brothers  Cantine  and  Zwemer — four  per- 
sons altogether — comprise,  I  believe,  all  the  missionary 
force  at  present  engaged  among  the  millions  of  Arabia. 
It  was  with  great  satisfaction  that  I  learned  that  the  Com- 
mittee at  home  have  promised  them  additional  laborers 
and  also  a  boat.  A  medical  missionary  would  seem  to 
be  almost  indispensable. 

There  being  several  hours  at  our  disposal  before  the 
sailing  of  the  "  Thames,"  we  gladly  accepted  Brother 
Zwemer's  invitation  to  go  ashore  and  visit  the  city  of 
Aden. 

It  may  not  be  generally  known  that  the  rocky  promon- 
tory on  which  this  city  stands,  as  well  as  the  surround- 
ing country  for  a  score  or  more  of  miles,  is  a  British 
possession  and  a  constituent  part  of  the  government  of 
India.  The  rocks  are  plainly  of  volcanic  origin,  and  are 
thrown  up  into  all  sorts  of  fantastic  shapes.  The  British 
have  crowned  many  of  the  summits  with  fortifications 
bristling  with  guns,  pointing  in  every  direction,  land- 
ward and  seaward,  constructed  military  roads,  tunnels 


FAR    HENCE  19 

and  underground  passages,  and  are  fast  making,  if  they 
have  not  already  made,  of  it  a  second  Gibraltar.  There 
is  always  a  British  regiment  here,  besides  artillery  and  a 
contingent  of  native  troops.  The  town  itself  and  Steamer 
Point,  where  vessels  land  their  goods  and  passengers, 
are  strongly  policed,  and  good  order  maintained,  as 
everywhere  under  British  rule. 

Yet  even  policemen  in  uniform  find  it  impossible  to 
control  the  importunities  of  "gharri"  drivers,  Jewish 
money-changers,  merchant  venders  and  beggars  who 
dog  the  footsteps  of  the  wondering,  wearied  and  at  last 
disgusted  traveller.  Thankful  for  the  presence  of  our 
guide,  we  committed  ourselves  with  the  most  implicit 
confidence  to  his  direction,  and  set  out  for  land  and  the 
city  of  Aden. 

This  city  of  40,000  inhabitants  (by  the  last  census)  lies 
in  the  crater  of  an  extinct  volcano,  completely  shut  in 
by  jagged  peaks  and  ragged  slopes,  where  the  heat  of  sum- 
mer must  be  awful,  and  is  entirely  invisible  from  the  sea. 
The  high  wall  of  rock  which  hides  it  from  view  is  scarred 
and  seamed,  and  dotted  here  and  there  with  caves,  in 
which  fugitives  from  justice  often  seek  to  hide  them- 
selves, and  are  taken.  One  of  these  caves,  high  up  on 
the  mountain  side,  its  opening  partly  walled  in  by  light 
colored  stones,  is  pointed  out  as  the  grave  of  Cain,  the 
Mohammedans  of  the  place  firmly  believing  that  that 
first  murderer  was  buried  there. 

As  we  advance  along  the  fine  macadamized  road  built 
by  the  government,  the  way  to  the  city  leads  through  a 
narrow  and  deep  defile  cut  through  the  solid  rock,  barred 
by  gates  and  massive  walls,  all  strongly  fortified.  Once 
through  and  on  the  inner  side,  the  city  of  flat-roofed, 
one-storied  houses,  dazzlingly  white,  lay  before  us,  spread- 
ing out  and  nearly  covering  a  somewhat  extended  plain, 
while  on  every  side  the  wall  of  the  crater  towered  above. 


20  FAR    HENCE 

It  was  a  striking  spectacle  not  soon  to  be  forgotten.  Nor 
less  so  the  narrow  streets,  the  swarms  of  men,  women  and 
children  of  many  races,  mostly  black  and  half-clad — 
many  with  only  a  cloth  about  their  loins,  and  not  a  few  of 
the  children  in  nature's  garb  alone.  The  latter  thronged 
about  our  "gharri,"  ran  after  us,  beset  us  on  every  hand, 
begging  in  every  possible  attitude  and  with  every  possi- 
ble grimace  and  intonation,  for  "  bakshish."  Their 
patience  was  worthy  of  a  better  cause  and  larger  success. 

Two  objects  of  special  interest  engaged  our  attention. 
The  one,  a  series  of  stupendous  tanks,  built  in  a  gorge 
of  the  mountain,  one  above  another,  of  massive  masonry, 
and  designed  to  collect  for  use  whatever  rain  may  fall  on 
the  summit  or  higher  slopes.  Once  in  about  three  years 
they  are  filled.  At  present  they  are  dry.  Their  origin 
dates  far  back  in  the  past.  Whether  they  are  older  than 
the  Roman  occupation  is  uncertain  but  probable.  The 
Turks  found  them  and  repaired  them,  and  the  English 
have  recently  done  the  same.  Two  banyan  trees  and  a 
few  shrubs  were  growing  here,  the  only  ones  we  saw. 

The  other  object  which  attracted  our  special  interest 
was  the  depository  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  So- 
ciety. The  agent  in  charge,  Mr.  Ibrahim  Abd-el-Masiah, 
received  us  very  courteously  and  cordially,  and  we  were 
shown  the  various  forms  of  the  sacred  volume  there  on 
sale.  It  was  a  surprise  to  learn  that  actual  sales  were 
made,  to  unsolicited  purchasers,  of  more  than  4,000 
copies  and  portions  of  the  Scriptures  last  year.  One 
Mohammedan  bought  42  copies  for  use  as  a  text-book  in 
his  school  in  a  neighboring  village.  Everyday,  men  who 
have  bought  and  read  the  Scriptures  come  back  and 
seek  further  light  on  them  from  the  agent.  One  edition 
of  the  New  Testament,  gotten  up  and  bound  in  the  same 
style  as  the  Koran,  is  said  to  be  exceedingly  popular. 
Here,   in    close    proximity    to    the    dried-up   tanks,  was 


FAR    HENCE  2r 

opened  a  flowing  fountain  of  living,  not  stagnant  water, 
which,  please  God,  shall  never  go  dry. 

But  it  was  needful  to  return  to  the  steamer,  which 
would  not  wait  beyond  the  appointed  time.  There,  on 
the  deck,  we  bade  farewell  to  our  dear  brother,  he  send- 
ing his  salutations  to  those  whom  we  hope  to  meet  in 
the  Missions  of  our  Church,  and  we  commending  him 
and  his  comrade  to  God  and  the  Word  of  His  grace.  As 
our  good  ship  weighed  anchor  and  turned  her  prow 
toward  India,  we  left  him  in  the  rapidly-increasing  dis- 
tance, alone,  yet  not  alone.  For  has  he  not  the  promise, 
"  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway?  " 


CHAPTER  IV. 

BOMBAY    AND    THE    PARSEES. 

Bombay,  February  2 
We  reached  Bombay  on  Sunday  morning,  January  31st, 
and  cast  anchor  in  the  harbor  just  as  the  sun  was  rising 
over  the  eastern  hills.  The  harbor,  which  is  one  of  the 
finest  in  the  world,  presented  at  that  hour  a  beautiful 
spectacle,  studded  with  islands  of  which  some  rise  to  a 
considerable  height,  flanked  on  the  North  and  East  by 
mountains,  and  on  the  West  by  the  long  stretching  city, 
its  smooth  surface  bearing  a  large  number  of  ships  of 
war  all  ciad  in  white,  numerous  merchant  steamers  and 
innumerable  native  crafts,  both  large  and  small,  with 
their  peculiar,  sharp  pointed  sails.  A  pleasurable  excite- 
ment accompanied  our  landing,  as  we  touched  for  the 
first  time  the  soil  of  India,  and  came  face  to  face  with 
heathenism  pure  and  unrelieved. 

Not  that  Bombay  is  a  heathen  city  exclusively  or 
chiefly.  But  here  the  old  and  the  new,  the  heathen  and 
the  Christian,  stand  side  by  side,  blended  and  yet  dis- 
tinct, and  while  Europeans  abound,  yet  the  great  multi- 
tudes which  throng  the  streets  and  oppress  one  with  the 
sense  of  their  vast  numbers  are  as  purely  heathen  as 
though  Christianity  had  never  come  among  them  and  the 
presence  and  dominion  of  Great  Britain  were  unknown. 
It  is  a  most  impressive  and  affecting  sight — the  constant 
streams  that  throng  and  almost  block  the  various  streets 
of  the  native  town,  dark  in  hue  and  dark  in  mind  and 
heart. 

The  city  derives  its  name  from  the  island  on  which  it 
is  situated,  and  which  it  has  greatly  outgrown.     In  fact, 


FAR  HENCE  23 

it  covers  several,  connected  with  each  other  and  the 
mainland  by  causeways  and  railway  viaducts,  and  is,  in 
shape,  not  altogether  unlike  New  York,  a  peninsula  lying 
north  and  south,  ''all  long  and  no  wide."  It  is  like  New 
York,  too,  or  Manhattan  Island,  in  its  original  cheapness, 
its  first  cost  to  the  East  India  Company  being  an  annual 
rental  of  ten  pounds  sterling.  Next  to  Calcutta,  which 
it  is  fast  approaching  in  size,  it  is  the  largest  city  in 
India,  having  a  population  somewhere  between  800, oco 
and  900,000.  There  are  two  very  distinct  portions  into 
which  it  is  divided  :  The  Fort,  or  European  portion,  and 
the  native  town. 

The  Fort  is  a  very  handsome  quarter,  with  wide  streets, 
shaded  with  noble  trees,  broad  squares  and  esplanade, 
and  a  collection  of  fine  buildings  such  as  would  do  credit 
to  any  city  in  Europe  or  America.  The  most  conspicuous 
of  these,  and  perhaps  the  most  elegant,  is  the  Victoria 
Railway  station,  which  is  said  to  have  cost  a  million  and 
a  half  of  dollars  and  is  truly  imperial  in  style  and  pro- 
portions. It  does  not  put  out  of  contenance,  however, 
the  University  buildings  with  their  lofty  tower,  the  high 
court,  postoffice,  several  schools  and  many  other  public 
buildings,  as  well  as  private,  which  abound  and  beautify 
the  city.  A  marked  feature,  in  this  regard,  is  the  number 
of  hospitals,  erected  for  the  most  part  by  private  muni- 
ficence, among  which  is  to  be  noted  the  Cama  Hospital 
for  Women  on  the  esplanade,  and  under  the  exclusive 
management  and  charge  of  medical  women.  With  this 
is  connected  an  admirable  Female  Dispensary  on  one  of 
the  great  thoroughfares  and  near  the  public  market.  It 
is  a  satisfaction  to  know  that  the  idea  of  these  institu- 
tions, as  well  as  the  "  Medical  Women  for  India  Fund," 
by  means  of  which  so  much  good  has  been  and  is  yet  to 
be  accomplished,  had  its  origin  with  one  of  our  fellow- 
countrymen,  George  A.  Kittredge,  Esq.,  long  a   resident 


24  FAR  HENCE 

of  Bombay.  To  him,  also,  is  due  the  introduction  of 
tramways  or  street  railroads,  which  are  now  an  estab- 
lished feature  of  the  city's  locomotion.  In  both  instances 
Yankee  pluck  and  perseverance  triumphed  over  great  in- 
difference and  much  opposition. 

Noticeable  among  the  other  buildings  is  the  Crawford 
Market,  the  like  of  which  I  have  never  seen  anywhere. 
A  large  and  imposing  building  of  stone  and  brick  at  the 
corner,  is  flanked  on  either  side  and  at  a  right  angle  by 
long  courts  or  sheds,  along  which  are  arranged,  in  parallel 
rows,  the  benches  or  counters  on  which  innumerable 
dealers  sit  with  their  stock  of  vegetables,  fruits  and  other 
wares  exposed.  These  open  on  a  garden  shaded  with 
trees  and  beautiful  with  flowers,  where  venders  of  birds, 
monkeys  and  other  animals  have  their  booths,  while  a 
third  side  is  enclosed  by  the  markets  for  meat  and  fish. 
Everything  is  kept  scrupulously  clean,  and  in  the  early 
morning  the  entire  space  is  thronged  with  crowds  of 
chaffering  purchasers,  the  whole  presenting  a  singularly 
bright  and  animated  scene. 

But  the  native  town  is  by  far  the  most  interesting  to 
the  visitor,  newly  arrived  from  other  lands.  Even  the 
principal  streets  are  close  and  narrow,  and  lined  on  either 
hand  by  the  small  native  shops  which  give  them  the  ap- 
pearance of  prolonged  bazars.  In  each  the  dealer  sits 
cross-legged  or  on  his  knees,  his  stock  of  wares  about 
him  and  usually  within  reach  of  his  hand.  Every  sort  of 
merchandise  is  exposed  in  them, from  the  native  wares  and 
food  products  to  the  fabrics,  both  cheap  and  costly,  and 
even  the  books  of  Europe.  Treasures  in  gems  and  brass 
and  silver  work,  embroidery,  shawls,  etc.,  are  here  to  be 
found  if  one  knows  where  to  look  for  them,  and  to  be 
purchased  if  one  knows  how  to  buy.  Such  a  thing  as  a 
fixed  price  is  unknown — at  least  for  foreigners — and  un- 
less the  would-be  purchaser  is  skilled  in  chaffering  and 


FAR  HENCE  25 

cautious  in  bidding,  the  chances  are  ten    to  one  that  he 
will  be  most  egregiously  ''sold." 

The  crowds  that  throng  these  streets  are  simply  im- 
mense, interminable.  A  carriage  threads  its  way  through 
them  with  the  greatest  difficulty,  and  only  by  dint  of  in- 
cessant shouting  on  the  part  of  the  driver.  To  turn  out 
seems  the  last  thing  thought  of,  and  one  often  holds  his 
breath  in  anticipation  of  a  collision  that  seems  inevitable 
but  never  comes.  Fully  half  the  people  have  no  other 
dress  than  a  cloth  round  the  waist,  their  bare  backs 
glistening  in  the  sun  and  the  bare  legs  exposed.  The 
sight  at  first  is  rather  repulsive,  but  one  becomes  accus- 
tomed to  it  of  necessity,  as  to  many  another  disagree- 
able thing  in  this  life.  But  the  gay  costumes  of  the  other 
half  relieve  the  sombre  monotony  of  black  skins,  show- 
ing every  variety  of  style  and  color  known  to  the  Orient. 
Nothing  seems  to  relieve  the  expression  of  either  dull- 
ness or  sadness  which  seems  all  pervasive.  The  gay 
chatter  of  the  French,  or  the  merry  laugh  so  characteris- 
tic of  the  Southern  negroes  in  America  are  wanting  alto- 
gether, and  the  masses  in  their  unimpressiveness  become 
oppressive. 

The  native  houses  which  line  these  streets  rise  to  the 
height  of  three  and  four  stories,  sometimes  more,  and 
are  decorated  with  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow.  The 
overhanging  porches  and  doorways  often  display  rich 
carving  and  betoken  the  wealth  of  the  builder  or  pos- 
sessor. Here,  also,  in  rows,  are  the  Jain  temples,  gay 
with  many  colors,  but  looking  dark  and  squalid  within. 
At  night  when  the  shops  are  lighted  and  the  crowds,  if 
possible,  larger  than  ever,  the  sight  is  singularly  impres- 
sive and  fascinating. 

In  the  heart  of  this  native  quarter,  BycuUa,  is  located 
the  Mission  of  the  American  Board.  We  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  attending  a  native  service  on  Sunday  afternoon, 


26  FAR    HENCE 

listening  to  a  sermon  in  Marathi  by  one  of  the  native 
preachers  and  joining,  with  the  heart  if  not  altogether 
with  the  understanding,  in  the  songs  of  praise  of  the 
native  church.  After  the  service  was  concluded,  some  of 
the  young  men  of  the  congregation  took  their  stand, 
according  to  custom,  on  the  steps  of  the  church.  With 
the  aid  of  songs  and  musical  instruments  a  crowd  was 
soon  gathered  and  the  Gospel  preached  to  them.  It  was 
a  privilege,  in  company  with  another  American  clergy- 
man from  Minneapolis  who  was  passing  through,  to  be 
permitted  to  give,  through  an  interpreter,  a  word  of 
testimony  and  invitation.  The  crowd  listened  intently 
while  the  foreigners  were  speaking  and  their  words  in- 
terpreted. Who  knows  but  some  single  seed  then 
dropped,  if  not  more,  may  take  root  and  grow  and  bear 
fruit.  God  grant  it  for  His  Son's  sake.  The  next  day 
we  visited  the  schools  for  boys  and  girls,  under  the  care 
of  Rev.  J.  E.  Abbott  and  Miss  Millard  respectively,  and 
also  the  "  Bowker  Home  "  or  dormitory  for  the  latter 
school.  Their  work  extends  far  beyond  the  limits  of 
the  city,  and  is  connected  with  that  of  other  stations  in 
the  Marathi  Mission. 

A  visit  to  Bombay  would  be  incomplete  without  seeing 
the  "  Caves  of  Elephanta  "  and  the  "  Towers  of  Silence." 
The  latter  are  situated  on  the  summit,  the  finest  part  of 
Malabar  Hill,  which  overlooks  the  city.  A  beautiful 
drive  along  the  Back  Bay  makes  gradual  ascent,  passing 
some  of  the  finest  residences  of  Europeans.  With  the 
pure  sea  air  ever  blowing,  and  grounds  laid  out  with 
taste  and  beauty,  and  abounding  in  luxuriant  foliage  of 
tree  and  shrub  and  vine,  there  seemed  a  trace  of  Para- 
dise in  these  hillside  homes.  The  views  from  them,  of 
city,  harbor  and  mountains  are  superb.  The  "  Towers  " 
are,  as  is  w,ell  known,  the  burying  places  of  the  Parsees, 
or  rather  the  places  for  the  disposal  of  their  dead — for 


FAR    HENCE  27 

they  do  not  bury.  There  are  four  towers  surrounded  by 
high  walls,  into  which  no  foot  of  any  other  than  a  Parsee 
is  ever  admitted.  Tlie  grounds  about  them,  however, 
are  open  to  those  who  obtain  cards  of  admission  from 
the  proper  source.  They  are  laid  out  in  walks  and  beds 
of  flowers  and  kept  neat  and  clean.  On  entering  the 
great  gate  of  the  enclosure  one  is  first  shown  the  hall 
where  the  body  is  deposited  while  the  appropriate  service 
is  rendered. 

A  model  of  the  interior  of  the  towers  is  shown,  dis- 
playing a  central  pit,  round  which  are  arranged  benches, 
in  three  concentric  tiers,  rising  one  above  the  other.  On 
the  outer  and  larger  of  these  are  deposited  the  bodies  of 
men,  of  women  on  the  second,  next  interior  and  lower, 
and  of  children  on  the  third.  When  the  body  is  laid 
down  the  friends  withdraw  and  the  door  is  closed.  Then 
the  vast  flock  of  vultures,  that  darken  the  air  with  their 
wings  and  make  it  hideous  with  their  cries,  rush  down 
upon  it.  When  their  repast  is  finished,  and  the  bones 
are  clean,  they  are  gathered  up  and  thrown  into  the  cen- 
tral pit.  We  were  so  fortunate — or  otherwise — as  to 
arrive  just  as  a  burial  party  was  leaving.  The  edge  of 
one  of  the  large  towers  was  crowned  with  a  circle  of  the 
rapacious  birds,  sitting  in  solemn  silence  looking  down 
into  the  pit,  while  a  few  were  flitting  uneasily  about, 
flapping  their  wings  and  calling  to  their  fellows.  On 
the  walls  of  the  other  large  tower  not  a  bird  was  to  be 
seen.  In  answer  to  our  inquiry,  the  aged  keeper  said 
they  were  all  down  inside.  The  mental  picture  of  what 
they  were  doing  there  made  us  turn  away  with  a  sick- 
ened feeling,  which  the  sight  of  the  great  city  and  the 
busy  world  outside  did  not  at  once  remove. 

The  *'  Caves  of  Elephanta,"  on  an  island  of  that  name 
in  the  harbor,  are  reached  by  boat,  and  a  visit  to  them 
forms  a  pleasant  afternoon  excursion.     From  the  landing 


28  FAR  HENCE 

one  ascends  up  a  flight  of  massive  stone  steps  to  a  level 
perhaps  200  feet  above  the  sea.  There,  cut  into  the 
solid  rock,  is  a  large  temple,  in  various  chambers,  with 
gigantic  statues  of  Hindu  divinities  in  various  attitudes 
and  forms  of  manifestation.  Many  of  these  statues  have 
been  sadly  mutilated,  not  so  much  by  the  ravages  of 
time  as  by  the  ignorant  hatred  for  idolatry  of  the  early 
Portuguese  discoverers,  and  the  later  vandalism  of  British 
soldiers.  At  present  the  government  guards  what  re- 
mains and  maintains  a  keeper.  The  grotesque  figures, 
dimly  lighted  halls  and  chambers,  and  the  immense 
masses  of  overhanging  rock,  make  a  peculiar  impression 
of  wonder,  awe,  but  hardly  of  solemnity.  They  are 
monuments  of  the  faith  and  industry  of  a  generation 
that  wrought  and  died  centuries  ago,  and  of  a  system  of 
superstition  that  is  destined,  please  God,  to  pass  away 
before  as  many  more  centuries  have  flown. 


CHAPTER  V. 

WELCOME    TO    THE    ARCOT    FIELD. 

Arni,  February  ii. 
We  left  Bombay  on  the  evening  of  the  3d,  much  won- 
dering why  the  only  train  for  Madras  should  leave  at 
9.30  p.  M.  The  reason  became  apparent  the  next  day, 
when  riding  over  the  hot  plains  of  the  interior  in  the 
scorching  heat.  Far  better  to  spend  two  nights  and  one 
day  on  the  road  than  two  days  and  one  night.  For  the 
nights  are  comparatively  cool,  but  the  day  !  too  hot  even 
to  sleep,  and  with  little  that  is  interesting  to  distract  the 
attention  and  relieve  the  monotony  of  the  long  and 
dreary  ride.  The  sun  had  done  its  work,  even  if  the 
last  monsoon  had  failed  to  do  its.  And  the  ground 
looked  parched  and  barren,  and  weary  men  and  women 
toiled  hopelessly  in  fields  that  promised  little  in  return. 
Where  the  plough  scratched  the  soil  the  dust  flew  in 
clouds.  The  sun  beat  relentlessly  on  the  shapeless 
piles  of  rocks,  bare  and  gray  and  glistening,  that  reared 
their  heads,  often  in  most  fantastic  shapes  that  seemed 
the  work  of  human  or  titanic  hands,  and  glared  back  at 
us  savagely,  reflecting  the  heat  with  which  they  were 
themselves  tormented. 

But  all  things  earthly  have  an  end,  and  in  the  cool  of 
the  morning  of  the  5th,  at  3.45,  we  left  the  train,  after 
a  ride  of  seven  hundred  miles,  and  met  the  hearty  wel- 
come and  embrace  of  Dr  Chamberlain,  who  had  come 
all  the  way  from  Arni  to  meet  us  and  escort  us  thither. 
The  lack  of  hotels  for  the  entertainment  of  travellers  in 
most  Indian  towns  has  given  occasion  for  provision,  at 
the   larger  stations,   of  bedrooms  and   bath-room?  and 


30  FAR    HENCE 

other  conveniences.  So  here,  at  Renigunta,  where  the 
South  India  taps  the  Madras  railway,  after  greetings 
were  exchanged,  we  washed  away  in  great  bath-tubs  the 
dust  and  something  of  the  heat  of  the  long  journey,  and 
went  forth  refreshed  to  begin  the  circuit  of  the  Arcot 
district  and  the  stations  of  our  Mission.  By  invitation 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Petersen  and  his  wife,  of  the  Hermanns- 
burg  Lutheran  Mission,  we  stopped  for  breakfast  at  Tiru- 
pati,  about  an  hour's  ride  from  Renigunta. 

Tirupati  is  one  of  the  most  noted  centres  of  Hindu 
worship  and  superstition.  It  has  many  small  temples  of 
its  own  and  within  its  limits.  But  the  chief  attraction 
is  a  sacred  temple  on  the  summit  of  a  mountain  which 
overlooks  the  town.  The  path  to  it  leads  up  through 
three  large  "gopurams,"  or  gate  towers,  standing  at  in- 
tervals on  the  mountain-side.  Through  them  pilgrims 
are  constantly  ascending  and  descending,  and  at  certain 
times  hundreds  of  thousands  march  in  procession  across 
the  lowland,  climb  the  weary  way  and  pay  their  devo- 
tions and  their  tribute  at  the  sacred  shrine  where  Shiva's 
footprint  is  to  be  seen  imprinted  in  the  solid  rock.  Few 
foreigners,  indeed,  if  any,  have  ever  been  able  to  pene- 
trate to  it,  and  whoever  makes  the  attempt  does  so  at 
the  peril  of  his  life.  It  is  just  at  the  base  of  this  mount- 
ain, and  across  the  path  that  leads  up  to  it,  that  our 
German  brethren  have  planted  and  maintain  the  stand- 
ard of  the  Cross.  Faith  can  look  forward  and  antici- 
pate the  time  when  the  multitudes  shall  flock  to  it.  In 
the  face  of  present  tokens  it  requires  a  strong  faith,  in- 
deed, to  do  it.  But  the  beginning  has  been  made.  The 
mission  bungalows,  the  church,  the  schools,  all  of  which 
we  were  glad  to  visit,  have  in  them  ''the  promise  and 
potency  "  of  mighty  changes  yet  to  be  effected  in  the 
name  and  by  the  power  of  Him  for  whom  they  stand. 
It  was  a  pleasure  to  begin  our  ^'ourneyings  through  our 


FAR    HENCE  31 

own  mission  field,  by  breaking  bread  in  the  house  of  one 
of  another  name  and  race,  but  of  ^'  like  precious  faith," 
and  who  represents  the  society  founded  by  that  apos- 
tolic man,  Pastor  Harms,  of  Hermannsburg.  May  his 
spirit  animate  all  those  who  go  forth  under  its  care. 

In  reaching  Arni  we  take  a  new  branch  of  the  South 
India  railway,  which  runs  the  entire  length  and  trav- 
erses diagonally  almost  the  whole  width  of  the  Arcot 
field,  bringing,  with  the  exception  of  Palmaner,  all 
the  stations  into  more  or  less  direct  railway  communica- 
tion. When  one  considers  that  some  of  these  stations 
were  previously  thirty,  and  even  sixty,  miles  from 
a  railway,  and  the  laborious  modes  of  travel  where 
railways  do  not  exist  (of  which  these  letters  may  have 
occasion  to  speak  hereafter),  it  is  easy  to  understand 
how  great  this  new  convenience  is,  and  how  great  an  ad- 
vantage it  is  likely  to  prove  in  carrying  on  the  work. 
Had  the  mission  been  asked  to  lay  it  out,  it  could  hardly 
have  served  them  better.  By  5  p.  m.  it  brought  us  to 
Kalambur,  the  station  nearest  to  Arni,  and  seven  miles 
only  from  this  place.  All  along  the  way  we  were  met, 
at  Pakala,  Chittoor,  Vellore,  by  helpers,  already  friends 
and  brethren,  going  as  we  were  to  Arni. 

For  here  the  Mission  is  holding  its  annual  meeting,  de- 
ferred two  wrecks  in  order  that  the  secretary  might  be 
present,  and  made  the  occasion  of  a  more  general  gather- 
ing of  the  helpers  than  usual  because  of  his  expected 
presence.  The  good  ladies  who  sent  him  forth  could  not 
have  anticipated — as  he  certainly  did  not— the  universal 
interest  this  visit  has  awakened  among  the  native  breth- 
ren and  churches.  If,  in  recounting  some  of  the  experi- 
ences through  which  we  have  passed,  and  shall  yet  pass, 
the  pronoun  of  the  first  person  shall  seem  to  be  used 
rather  too  frequently,  please  remember  and  believe  that 
it  is  not  from  egotism,  but  simply  because  it  is  only  pos- 


32  FAR    HENCE 

sible  so  to  give  any  idea  of  this  interest,  the  expression 
of  which  found  its  natural  objective  point  in  the  secre- 
tary and  her  who  accompanied  him. 

Of  this  interest  the  first  marked  expression  greeted  us  as 
we  passed  through  the  town  of  Arni  and  drew  near 
the  Mission  Compound.  Drawn  up  across  the  road, 
dressed  mostly  in  white,  was  a  large  company  of  school- 
boys, church  members  and  helpers,  with  music  of  fiddle, 
fife  and  drum,  who  immediately  formed  in  line  and  pre- 
ceded us  to  the  Compound.  At  starting,  and  at  frequent 
intervals  on  the  way,  were  given  "Three  cheers  for 
our  secretary,"  and  at  the  gate  we  passed  under  a 
canopy  inscribed  on  its  outward  face,  ''  Welcome  to  the 
Rev.  H.  N.  Cobb,  D.  D.,  Our  Secretary."  The  cheers  were 
emphasized  by  the  explosion  of  fireworks,  and  con- 
tinued till  we  had  reached  the  Mission  House,  and 
grasped  the  extended  hands  of  the  beloved  brethren  and 
sisters  waiting  to  receive  us.  Here  they  were  dismissed 
— for  the  present  only,  as  it  afterward  appeared.  For 
the  next  day,  at  noon,  the  sounds  of  music  were  heard 
again,  and  a  large  company  approached,  filling  the  spa- 
cious verandah  of  the  bungalow,  bearing  garlands  of 
fragrant  flowers  with  which  to  adorn  the  visitors.  When 
quiet  was  obtained  an  address  in  excellent  English,  of 
which  copies  in  English  and  Tamil  were  distributed, 
printed  on  the  Arcot  Mission  Press  by  the  scholars  of  the 
Industrial  school — was  admirably  read  by  one  of  the 
teachers.  It  was  followed  by  the  presentation  of  a  plate 
of  brass,  mounted  on  velvet,  and  engraved  by  an  artist 
of  the  place,  as  a  memento  of  the  occasion.  To  this  ad- 
dress the  secretary,  taken  completely  by  surprise,  made 
such  reply  as  he  was  able.  Nor  did  the  manifestations 
cease  with  this.  For  on  the  following  Monday  evening 
the  scholars  of  the  school  claimed  the  occasion  as  their 
own,  and  celebrated  it  with  high  spirits  and  right  good 


FAR    HENCE  33 

will,  with  fireworks,  manual  exercises,  music  and  song, 
under  the  bright  moonlight,  which  here  seems  to  shine 
with  sevenfold  brilliance.  It  was  altogether  an  enchant- 
ing scene,  and  one  that  will  long  linger  in  the  memory. 
The  gathering  of  helpers  here  is  an  encouraging  and 
stimulating  sight.  As  one  looks  into  their  faces  he  can- 
not help  feeling  that  the  Lord  has  enabled  the  Mission 
to  raise  up  a  noble  band  of  men,  from  whom  much  faith- 
ful and  efficient  service  may  be  expected.  Not  alt  are 
equally  gifted  or  equally  equipped.  But  some  of  the 
older  men  especially — some  of  the  younger  also — seem 
to  be  men  of  intellect,  spirituality  and  power.  A  prayer- 
meeting  was  held  early  Saturday  morning,  ably  led  by 
Pastor  Abraham  Muni,  of  Yehamur.  The  little  church 
was  full,  down  to  the  very  door,  with  an  interested  and 
attentive  company.  At  the  close  of  the  meeting  an  op- 
portunity was  given  for  the  secretary  to  speak,  which  he 
willingly  embraced,  though  never  longing  in  his  life  so 
much  for  the  gift  of  tongues  as  then.  It  is  not  easy  to 
express  one's  feeling  or  communicate  his  thought  through 
an  interpreter.  Joseph  Cook  calls  him  "  an  interrupter," 
and  such  he  is,  however  admirably  in  other  respects  he 
may  perform  his  part.  He  interrupts  the  course  of  thought, 
and — what  is  more  important  still — the  tide  of  emotion, 
which  will  not  flow  by  jerks  and  spurts.  Nevertheless, 
the  secretary  rejoiced  in  the  opportunity  to  express  his 
own  pent-up  feeling,  as  well  as  to  convey  to  the  assem- 
bled brethren  the  warm  Christian  salutations  of  the 
churches  at  home,  as  committed  to  him  especially  by  the 
Pastor's  Association  on  the  day  before  he  embarked. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    ARCOT    CLASSIS    AND    MISSION,  AND    WORK    AT    ARNI. 

TiNDiVANAM,  February  13. 
In  the  afternoon  the  Classis  of  Arcot  met.  The  open- 
ing sermon  was  preached  by  Pastor  P.  Souri,  of  Madana- 
palle,  and  though  the  absence  of  the  gift  of  "the  inter- 
pretation of  tongues  "  was  equally  deplored,  it  needed  no 
such  gift  and  no  interpreter  to  enable  one  to  see  the  fire 
and  force  of  his  utterance  or  mark  its  effect  on  those  who 
listened.  The  sight  of  him  and  his  eight  brethren  in  the 
pastorate,  clad  in  their  gowns  of  spotless  white,  was  one 
worth  going  far  to  see.  The  session  continued  through 
the  afternoon,  and  was  resumed  the  following  Monday. 
On  this  day  were  examined  for  licensure  seven  young 
men,  the  first  class  which  has  passed  through  the  entire 
course  of  instruction  in  the  theological  seminary.  They 
all  produced  their  professorial  certificates,  and  were  then 
examined  by  Pastor  Moses  Nathaniel  and  Drs.  Jared 
Scudder  and  Chamberlain,  and  the  examination  of  all 
was  sustained.  It  was  a  new  step  in  the  progress  of  the 
Church  in  India,  as  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  the  for- 
mula for  licentiates  had  to  be  written  now,  for  the  first 
time,  for  these  young  men  to  sign.  There  are  those 
among  them  from  whom,  if  God  shall  spare  their  lives, 
the  Church  may  yet  expect  to  hear  a  good  account. 
Those  who  have  founded  or  maintained  the  scholarships 
by  which  they  have  been  supported,  may  well  thank 
God  for  the  privilege  of  being  His  instruments  in  put- 
ting them  into  the  ministry.  And  it  is  to  be  hoped  that 
more  of  the  churches  of  the  Mission  will  covet  the  privi- 
lege of  having  such  men  as  their  pastors.     The  present 


FAR    HENCE  35 

number,  nine,  is  an  encouraging  advance  upon  the  past, 
when  for  many  years  there  were  only  three.  But  there 
are  still  fifteen  out  of  the  twenty-three  churches  of  the 
Classis  (the  Church  of  Madanapalle  has  two)  without 
pastors.  The  great  obstacles  to  the  establishment  of 
the  relation  have  been,  first,  the  lack  of  suitable  men,  and 
second,  the  great  poverty  of  the  people.  On  this  point 
I  may  have  something  to  say  at  another  time.  So  long 
as  their  condition  is  unimproved,  and  the  Mission  re- 
quires (as  it  very  properly  does)  that  a  certain  propor- 
tion of  the  salary  should  be  paid  or  pledged  by  the 
church  before  a  pastor  can  be  ordained,  the  increase  in 
their  number  must  of  necessity  be  slow.  Nevertheless, 
eontinual  effort  is  made  to  bring  them  up  to  the  point  of 
partial  self-support.  The  first  difficulty  is  happily  dis- 
appearing, and  must  tend  to  disappear  eventually  alto- 
gether, through  the  work  of  the  theological  seminary. 

Of  the  Mission  meetings,  held  very  continuously  on 
Tuesday,  Wednesday  and  Thursday,  sometimes,  it  must 
be  confessed,  almost  to  the  point  of  exhaustion,  there  is 
little  space  and  I  can  hardly  trust  myself  to  speak.  Suf- 
fice it  to  say,  that  it  was  both  a  privilege  and  a  revela- 
tion to  be  permitted  to  attend  them.  The  Church  may 
confidently  trust  that  its  far-away  interests  are  most 
carefully  guarded  by  those  to  whom  they  are  committed. 
If  these  brethren,  with  their  complete  knowledge  of  the 
field,  its  growth  and  wants,  and  with  their  careful 
scrutiny  of  every  estimate  and  every  item  of  expenditure, 
make  up  their  minds  to  ask  for  more  missionaries  and 
larger  means  for  any  department  of  work,  they  ought  to 
have  them.  They  know  too  well  the  difficulty  with  which 
both  are  procured  to  make  extravagant  or  unreasonable 
demands,  if,  indeed,  any  demands  could  be  extravagant 
for  such  a  field  and  for  the  multitudes  embraced  in  it. 

The  work  at  Arni  has,  beside  those  features  which  it 


36  FAR    HENCE 

possesses  in  common  with  other  stations,  such  as  a 
station  church,  village  churches  and  schools,  and  caste 
girls'  schools,  the  intermediate  department,  called  "  lower 
secondary,"  in  the  new  government  system,  of  the 
Arcot  Academy  or  High  School,  and  in  connection  with 
it  the  Industrial  School.  The  scholars,  numbering  now 
about  seventy,  are  in  both  schools  at  once,  spending  part 
of  the  day  in  study  and  part  in  manual  labor.  Schools 
of  an  industrial  character  are  regarded  with  special 
favor  by  the  government,  which  is  disposed  to  foster 
them  by  considerable  grants.  The  advantages  claimed 
for  the  method  pursued  at  Arni  are,  that  it  provides 
active  employment  for  the  boys,  puts  in  their  hands  the 
means  of  gaining  a  livelihood  independently  of  the  Mis- 
sion and  its  service,  which  will  be  of  great  advantage  to 
any  who  may  prove  incapable  of  promotion  to  the  higher 
department  of  the  school  at  Arcot,  and  it  serves  to  teach 
them  all  that  work  is  honorable  and  idleness  and  help- 
lessness disgraceful.  Blacksmithing,  rug-making,  car- 
pentering and  printing  are  successfully  carried  on,  and 
from  all  the  departments  creditable  and  remunerative 
work  has  been  turned  out.  The  most  popular  branch  is 
carpentering,  which  has  some  thirty  boys  or  more.  The 
whole  enterprise  is  confessedly  an  experiment  as  yet,  but 
one  that  gives  promise  of  excellent  results  in  the  future, 
and  is,  therefore,  well  worth  trying.  The  boys  look 
bright,  intelligent  and  happy,  with  few  exceptions,  and 
are  interesting  also  as  the  nursery  from  which  future 
helpers,  teachers  and  pastors  are  to  be  looked  for. 

But  space  fails,  and  I  have  not  yet  even  mentioned  the 
various  meetings — the  communion  service  on  Sunday 
morning,  conducted  in  Tamil  and  English,  in  which  all 
participated  and  drew  very  near  to  one  another  and 
to  heaven,  and  at  which  six  lads  from  the  boarding 
school  were  received  to  the  communion  of  the  church 


COOLIES  EATING  RICE-INDIA. 


FAR    HENCE  37 

— the  Sunday-schools  in  the  afternoon,  where  prizes 
were  distributed  to  many  a  happy  child,  and  in  one 
of  which  many  heathen  men  and  wo.nen  stood  look- 
ing on  and  listening,  while  the  lips  of  heathen  children 
of  high  caste  spoke  and  sang  the  words  and  praise  of 
Jesus  Christ,  or  those  caste  schools  on  which  Mrs.  Scud- 
der  expends  so  much  careful  thought  and  labor.  Of 
each  and  all  and  more,  I  would  gladly  speak  if  I  had 
time  and  you  had  patience.  The  whole  week  has  been 
full  of  interest  and  pleasure.  The  hospitable  bungalow, 
aided  by  no  less  hospitable  tents  beneath  the  palms,  has 
been  filled  with  as  happy,  harmonious  and  devoted  a 
company  of  men  and  women,  I  verily  believe,  as  were 
ever  got  together,  and  the  privilege  of  being  with  them 
is  enough  to  make  one  glad  for  life. 

The  Mission  meeting  at  Arni  broke  up  at  the  unsea- 
sonable hour  of  1.45  A.  M.  of  the  12th.  By  5  a.  m.  we 
were  again  stirring  in  order  to  take  the  train  for  Tin- 
divanam  at  7.05.  We  bade  adieu,  with  regret,  to  our 
bountiful  host  and  hostess,  the  Rev.  and  Mrs.  E.  C. 
Scudder,  Jr.,  their  beautiful  compound  and  hospitable 
home.  The  drive  of  seven  miles  to  the  station  in  the 
early  morning  was  very  delightful. 

Tindivanam  lies  on  the  main  line  of  the  South  India 
Railway,  about  seventy-five  miles  from  Madras,  and  is 
the  most  southern  station  of  the  Mission,  as  well  as  one 
of  the  most  important  as  regards  extent  of  field  and  the 
number  of  villages  dependent  on  it.  The  station  was 
formerly  at  Gingee,  a  fortified  town  some  twenty  or 
twenty-five  miles  to  the  west,  but  the  unhealthfulness  of 
that  place  caused  its  transfer  to  Tindivanam. 

On  our  way  thither,  by  a  somewhat  circuitous  route, 
we  passed  through  two  considerable  centres  of  Hindu- 
ism, Tiruvannamalai  (shortened  to  Tirunomaly)  and 
Tirucoilur.    The  shrine  at  the  former  place  is  the  special 


38  FAR    HENCE 

object  of  superstitious  devotion.  It  lies  at  the  base  of  a 
considerable  hill  or  mountain.  We  counted  seven  large 
"gopurams"  or  temple  towers,  with  several  smaller 
ones.  Once  a  year  hundreds  of  thousands  gather  at  this 
place  from  all  quarters  with  their  offerings,  and  march 
in  procession  around  the  temple  and  the  mountain  which 
overlooks  the  town.  Large  quantities  of  rice,  ghee  (or 
melted  butter)  and  other  offerings  are  carried  up  and 
deposited  in  a  great  pile  upon  the  summit.  At  night 
the  pile  is  fired,  while  fires  are  also  kindled  on  all  the 
surrounding  hills,  amid  the  acclamations  of  the  multi- 
tudes shouting  and  calling  on  the  god  "  Govinda,"  to 
whom  the  shrine  is  sacred. 

To  this  feast  go  companies  of  missionaries  and  Christ- 
ian preachers,  proclaiming  to  these  worshippers  the  Gos- 
pel of  our  Lord.  It  seems  a  hardy  undertaking,  requir- 
ing strong  conviction,  great  zeal  and  boldness  mixed 
with  discretion.  Last  year  much  opposition  was  mani- 
fested by  the  agents  of  the  Hindu  Tract  Society,  and  at 
their  instigation.  But  these  did  not  succeed  in  suppress- 
ing the  preaching  of  the  truth,  though  manifesting  their 
impotent  rage  against  it.  This  society  is,  in  itself  and 
its  operations,  a  most  emphatic  testimony  to  the  effects 
produced  by  missionary  effort,  and  to  the  value  and 
efficiency  of  the  methods  employed.  For  it  has  copied 
those  methods  of  preaching,  establishing  schools,  and 
circulating  tracts  and  books  (teeming  with  misrepre- 
sentation and  abuse  of  Christ  and  Christians),  and  their 
utterances  are  the  cry  of  fear,  if  not  of  despair,  as  well  as 
of  hate.  Their  influence  and  their  activity  are  already 
waning.  Similar  feasts  are  held  at  other  places  promi- 
nent in  Hindu  worship,  as  Mailam  and  Conjeveram,  both 
in  the  field  belonging  to  this  station,  and  both  furnish- 
ing occasion  for  the  preaching  of  Christ  to  the  assem- 
bled multitudes. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

STATION    AND    VILLAGE    WORK. 

TiNDiVANAM,   February   15. 

We  reached  Tindivanam  about  noon.  Driving  up  the 
main  bazar  street  of  the  town,  it  was  a  cheering  sight, 
amid  all  the  dingy  squalor  of  the  shops  and  houses,  and 
after  passing  several  Hindu  shrines  grimy  with  smoke 
and  dirt,  to  come  face  to  face  with  the  pretty  new  church 
of  pure  white,  recently  built  by  Dr.  John  Scudder.  It 
stands  at  the  parting  of  the  ways,  in  more  senses  than 
one,  and  looks  down  the  long  street  in  front  of  it  as 
though  inviting  all  the  numerous  passers  to  enter  and 
hear  the  words  of  life,  and  looking  forward  to  the  day 
when  they  shall  flow  unto  it. 

Beyond  it  lie  the  school  buildings  and  the  former  mis- 
sionary bungalow,  where  the  primary  department  of  the 
Arcot  High  School  is  domiciled.  Beyond  it  still,  in  a 
new  and  spacious  Compound,  gleams  the  new  white 
bungalow  in  which  Dr.  and  Mrs.  John  Scudder  have, 
with  their  daughter,  their  happy  and  comfortable  home. 
It  is  no  longer  necessary  to  put  up  umbrellas  when  it 
rains  !  As  we  entered  the  Compound  gate  the  helpers 
and  schoolboys  greeted  us  with  music  and  song,  and, 
under  a  canopy  of  "Welcome,"  escorted  us  to  the  door. 
Their  welcome  was  renewed  the  following  afternoon, 
with  addresses,  garlands  and  gifts,  and  the  explosion  of 
fireworks,  lasting  a  full  half-hour,  to  the  evident  delight 
of  the  participants.  So  fully  did  they  enter  into  the 
spirit  of  the  occasion,  that  after  being  dismissed,  they  re- 
tired to  the  schoolhouse  grounds,  and  for  hours  after- 
ward the  sound  of  music  and  happy   voices  singing  their 


40  FAR  HENCE 

native  Christian  lyrics  was  heard  on  the  night  air.  One's 
heart  could  not  but  warm  toward  the  singers.  It  was  a 
pleasure  to  assure  them,  as  in  every  place,  of  the  sym- 
pathy and  Christian  affection  of  those  who  had  sent  us  and 
their  missionaries  to  them,  and  also  to  preach  the  Gospel 
to  them  on  the  following  Sabbath  morning  in  the  church. 

We  had,  on  Sabbath  afternoon,  returning  from  the 
Tamil  service,  an  affecting  illustration  of  the  besotted 
superstition  in  the  midst  of  which  our  missionaries 
labor.  The  catechist  of  the  station,  Sebastian,  had  some 
weeks  before  gone  to  a  neighboring  village  with  a  cart 
to  bring  home  some  goods.  In  order  to  balance  the  load 
he  had  picked  up  a  stone  by  the  wayside,  and  placed  it 
in  the  cart.  On  reaching  the  village  he  removed  the 
stone,  and  threw  it  down  by  the  side  of  the  street.  It 
was  in  cholera  time,  and  the  people  were  much  exercised 
by  fear  of  that  dread  disease.  (How  they  are  ever  free 
from  it  is  the  wonder — not,  that  many  die).  What  was 
his  surprise,  a  few  days  after,  to  find  that  the  people  of 
that  part  of  the  village  had  set  up  this  stone  as  an  idol, 
and  were  worshipping  it.  Naturally  remonstrating,  he 
told  them  how  it  came  there,  and  how  foolish  it  was  to 
think  that  worship  paid  to  such  an  object  could  do  them 
any  good.  "Ah,"  they  said,  "we  know  that  you  are  a 
good  man,  and  even  if  the  stone  came  here  as  you  say, 
some  good  may  come  to  us  from  it." 

On  the  Sunday  afternoon  we  came  upon  the  spot.  A 
wicker  booth  had  been  erected  over  it.  Three  bricks 
were  set  on  end  on  either  side  of  the  stone,  and  all 
sprinkled  with  a  certain  yellow  powder  used  in  worship. 
Before  this  assemblage  of  divinities  were  one  or  two 
other  stones — servants  to  the  gods — and,  as  offerings,  a 
little  rice  and  a  few  bananas.  Before  the  booth,  on  her 
knees,  and  paying  her  devotions,  was  a  gray-haired 
woman,  wrinkled  and  skinny  with  age,  and  perhaps  with 


FAR  HENCE  41 

want.  She  rose  on  our  approach,  and  on  being  remon- 
strated with  for  worshipping  such  an  object,  waxed  quite 
eloquent  in  her  own  and  its  defence.  "  It  cannot  see,  it 
cannot  hear,  it  cannot  speak.  Why  do  you  pray  to  it  ?" 
'*  And  did  you  ever  see  your  God  ?  And  did  you  ever 
hear  Him  speak?"  This  and  much  more,  with  much  im- 
passioned gesture,  and  in  shrill  and  earnest  tones,  was 
her  reply.  Poor  creature.  We  left  her  with  hearts  sad 
for  her,  and  for  the  many,  many  millions  who  know  no 
more  than  she  of  the  true  God  and  eternal  life. 

It  was  part  of  the  programme  for  Tindivanam  that  we 
should  see  something  of  the  village  work.  As  Dr.  John 
Scudder  was  about  to  begin  his  periodic  circuit,  the  vil- 
lage of  Orattur  was  chosen  for  a  visit  by  the  Secretary. 
Here  Pastor  Paul  Bailey  lives,  a  tall,  fine-looking, 
patriarchal  man,  with  white  hair  and  beard  contrasting 
strangely  with  the  dark  hue  of  his  face.  By  faithful  ef- 
fort he  has  gathered  a  church  of  about  eighty  members, 
while  fully  two-thirds  of  the  people  in  the  part  of  the 
village  in  which  he  lives  are  counted  as  adherents.  He 
has  also  reared  a  commodious  church  building  of  singular 
proportions — about  fifteen  feet  by  sixty,  to  which  he  is 
now  seeking  to  add  a  tower  in  which  to  place  the  bell 
provided  by  the  liberality  of  friends  in  Flatbush.  The 
bell  at  present  stands  in  a  corner  of  the  church,  and 
when  rung  for  service — as  it  was  while  we  were  in  it — 
the  din  and  clangor  can  be  better  imagined  than  de- 
scribed. We  reached  the  village,  going  part  of  the  way 
by  rail  and  part  in  Dr.  Scudder's  buggy,  which  had  been 
sent  on  before.  As  we  approached,  the  heavens,  which 
had  been  so  long  shut  up,  opened  and  let  down,  for  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  or  more,  a  copious  shower.  It  was 
accepted  as  a  happy  omen,  and  did  not,  in  the  least,  af- 
fect the  ardor  of  the  villagers,  who  came  trooping  forth 
to  meet  us  and  escort  us  in. 


42  FAR  HENCE 

Arrived  at  the  church,  we  descended  and  found  pitched 
within,  in  the  far  end,  the  beds  on  which  we  were  to  pass 
the  night.  (The  church  is  generally,  in  these  villages, 
not  only  the  best,  but  the  only  comfortable  sleeping 
place  to  be  obtained).  After  getting  fairly  settled,  the 
bell,  with  almost  deafening  clamor,  summoned  the  people 
to  assemble.  It  was  proposed  to  celebrate  the  Lord's 
Supper  with  them.  As  they  came  in  they  took  their 
seats  upon  the  floor — the  men  and  women  on  different 
sides — till  almost  the  entire  space  was  covered  to  the 
very  door.  The  surroundings  were  not  such  as  would 
be  edifying  to  a  congregation  of  refined  tastes.  But  the 
service  was  none  the  less — rather,  all  the  more — touching 
on  that  account.  The  upturned  faces  of  many,  in- 
tently drinking  in  every  word,  made  strong  though  mute 
appeal  to  one's  deepest  Christian  sympathy.  Lambs  in 
the  midst  of  wolves,  though  rude  and  uncultivated,  they 
were  yet  Christ's.  And  that  means  much  where  all 
around  are  Vishnu's  or  Shiva's — or  the  devil's —  and  hate 
that  holy  name  by  which  they  are  called. 

After  the  service  was  concluded  we  walked  through  the 
Paracherry — the  portion  of  the  village  occupied  by 
Pariahs — led  by  Pastor  Paul  and  escorted  by  a  goodly 
share  of  the  congregation.  We  visited  the  pastor's 
house  and  the  old  church,  disused  since  the  new  and 
larger  one  was  built.  A  low,  dark  building,  of  mud 
walls  and  earthern  floor,  of  hardly  one-fourth  the  size 
of  the  new  one.  Yet  such  are  the  little  churches  in  many 
of  these  villages,  the  one  in  which  we  had  worshipped 
being  exceptionally  large  and  fine.  The  Christian  houses 
were  pointed  out  to  us,  low  and  dark,  with  walls  of  earth 
and  roof  of  thatch,  yet  far  better  than  many  villages  we 
have  seen  in  our  wanderings.  Here  and  there  we  stopped 
and  had  a  little  chat  with  their  occupants.  Poor  they 
are,   indeed, — with   a   poverty  which    has  no   parallel  in 


FAR  HENCE  43 

happy  America,  and  which  cannot  be  conceived  by  those 
who  have  not  seen  it.  And  just  now  doubly  and  trebly 
poor  by  reason  of  lack  of  rain  and  famine  prices  of  food. 
Yet  it  is  just  among  these  poor  of  earth  that  the  Gospel 
of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  has  taken  root  most  widely. 
Out  of  these  Pariahs,  of  no  caste  and  below  caste,  the 
Lord  is  raising  up  in  India,  not  only  a  seed  to  serve 
Him,  but  a  Christian  society — not  a  caste — which  is 
already  beginning  to  command  respect,  and  differs  widely 
from  the  order  out  of  which  it  springs. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

VELLORE    TOWN,   TEMPLE    AND    SCHOOLS. 

Vellore,  February   i8. 

In  the  early  morning  of  the  15th,  we  returned  to  Tindi- 
vanam,  and  in  the  afternoon  took  train  for  Vellore,  under 
the  kindly  escort  of  Dr.  John  Scudder,  who  refused  to 
let  us  come  alone.  We  reached  it  long  after  nightfall — 
about  II  p.  M.  But  here,  too,  warm  hearts  were  waiting 
to  receive  us  with  a  hearty  greeting,  which  began  at 
once,  and  extended  itself  over  the  next  day.  (I  may  as 
well  say  here  and  now,  writing  at  a  later  day,  when  all 
our  visits  are  completed,  and  to  avoid  repetition,  that 
everywhere  the  same  kind  and  keen  interest  was  mani- 
fested, and  the  most  cordial  welcome  extended  to  us. 
The  memory  of  these  scenes  and  of  the  kind  words 
spoken  can  never  be  effaced). 

Vellore,  as  a  town,  is  very  interesting,  lying  embow- 
ered in  trees  at  the  foot  of  three  jagged  hills,  all  of  them 
crowned  with  fortifications,  and  having  within  its  limits 
a  most  picturesque  fort,  dating,  perhaps,  from  the  end 
of  the  eleventh  century.  The  walls  are  of  hewn  stone, 
many  of  them  of  large  size,  and  fitted  together  with  that 
exactness  which  characterizes  the  old  masonry  of  India. 
A  moat  two  hundred  feet  in  width  surrounds  it,  still 
filled  with  water.  Within  the  fort  is  a  temple,  now  des- 
ecrated and  open  to  every  one,  but  once  sacred  to  Jolag- 
andar  Ishwara, '' the  god  that  dwells  in  water,"  another 
name  for  Shiva.  It  is  entered  through  a  pagoda,  or 
"  gopuram,"  of  seven  stories  and  one  hundred  feet  in 
height,  its  sides  covered  to  the  very  summit  with 
grotesque   figures.      Two    figures    in    dark-blue   granite 


FAR  HENCE  45 

guard  the  entrance,  of  which  the  monolithic  door-posts 
must  be  at  least  twenty  feet  in  height.  Passing  through 
this  gigantic  doorway  one  enters  an  open  court  of  large 
extent,  having  in  its  centre  the  holy  place,  with  its  sur- 
rounding chambers,  in  which  the  image  of  the  god  was 
once  kept,  but  now  deserted  and  empty.  The  inmost 
shrine  or  dwelling-place  is  a  dark,  cavernous  recess,  to 
which  no  light  is  admitted  from  without.  Around  the 
court  are  porches  where  worshippers  from  a  distance 
were  wont  to  spend  the  night,  the  roof  supported  by 
pillars  of  carved  stone.  In  one  corner,  and  the  chief 
feature  of  interest,  is  the  "  Mandapam,"  or  chamber  of 
marriage  ;  the  stone  roof  supported  by  a  multitude  of 
columns  richly  carved,  each  of  a  single  stone.  Grotesque 
figures  of  the  divinity  and  other  characters  of  Hindu 
mythology,  mounted  on  animals  equally  grotesque,  pro- 
ject from  and  form  a  part  of  these  wonderful  columns. 
Overhead,  in  the  centre,  is  an  immense  lotus  flower,  sup- 
ported by  circles  of  parrots,  hanging  by  their  claws  with 
heads  downward,  all  in  stone.  This  chamber,  or  hall, 
is  said  to  be  one  of  the  finest  in  India.  The  drive  around 
the  fort,  beside  the  moat,  and  under  avenues  of  stately 
tamarind  trees,  is  one  of  great  beauty. 

Not  far  removed  are  the  tombs  of  the  wives  and  family 
of  Tippu  Sultan,  carefully  guarded  and  kept  in  excellent 
preservation. 

Vellore  has  its  chief  interest  for  us  as  one  of  the  sta- 
tions of  our  Mission  and  the  home  of  the  Girls'  Boarding 
School.  It  has  been  occupied  for  the  last  twelve  years 
by  Dr.  and  Mrs,  Jared  W.  Scudder,  with  their  daughter, 
Miss  J.  C.  Scudder,  Mrs.  Scudder  having  the  oversight  of 
the  boarding  school,  and  Miss  Scudder  of  the  two  caste 
girls'  schools  in  Arasamaram  and  Circar  Mandy  streets. 

Our  first  visits,  on  the  morning  after  our  arrival,  were 
paid  to  these  latter  schools.     And  what  is  said  of  these 


46  FAR  HENCE 

schools  may  be  considered  as  applying,  in  the  main,  to 
all  the  schools  of  a  similar  character  at  the  different  sta- 
tions. They  have  a  common  object — to  gather  into  day 
schools,  for  Christian  instruction  especially,  but  with 
other  elements  as  well,  girls  from  high  caste  families  who 
cannot  be  induced,  by  reason  of  caste,  to  come  into  the 
boarding  school.  In  each  station  the  interest  in  this 
branch  of  work  is  increasing,  the  number  of  schools  is 
growing,  and  could  be  enlarged  still  further  were  the  ap- 
propriations also  enlarged.  And  the  Secretary  confesses 
publicly  to  having  been  so  impressed  with  the  importance 
of  this  agency  that  he  encouraged  the  Mission  to  ask  for 
such  enlargement. 

Come  with  us  to  these  schools.  See  these  bright-eyed, 
bright  faced,  smiling  girls.  Notice  the  rings  and  jewels 
and  necklaces,  made  up  sometimes  of  sovereigns  or  na- 
poleons, and  the  indefinable  marks  of  a  certain  high 
breeding  which  testify  to  the  wealth  and  standing  and 
importance  of  the  families  from  which  they  come.  Then 
hear  them  recite  their  verses  of  Scripture,  answer  ques- 
tions from  the  catechism  containing  Gospel  truth,  and 
sing  their  lyrics  in  praise  of  that  Jesus  whom  they  are 
here  taught  to  regard  as  their  only  Saviour  ;  and  re- 
member that  these  are  heathen  girls,  carrying  these  les- 
sons of  truth  into  heathen  homes  that  in  no  other  way 
could  be  reached  by  that  truth.  It  is  said,  and  no  doubt 
truly,  that  the  women  of  India  are  the  staunchest  sup- 
porters of  its  idolatry,  and  that  many  a  man,  who  is  a 
secret  believer  in  Jesus,  is  withheld  from  confession  by 
fear  of  the  women  of  his  household.  Now  surely,  these 
girls,  thus  trained,  can  never  be  as  ignorant  or  as  besotted 
as  their  mothers.  Nay,  is  it  not  reasonable  to  hope  that 
some,  even  many  of  them,  will  become  in  heart,  if  not 
openly,  the  followers  of  Christ,  and  so,  through  their  en- 
lightenment, the  way  be  made  easier  for  their  husbands 


FAR  HENCE  47 

and  sons  to  follow  and  confess  him  ?  I  own  to  being 
profoundly  impressed  with  this  feeling.  The  teaching 
has  its  effect.  The  truth  does  accomplish  its  mission. 
One  of  these  ladies  was  surprised  to  receive  from  one  of 
her  girls  all  the  family  idols  !  On  finding  that  she  had 
brought  them  without  the  knowledge  of  her  parents,  she 
was  advised  to  return  them.  This  she  did,  at  the  same 
time  saying  that  she  could  "  never  worship  them  again." 
The  care  and  labor  and  prayer  expended  on  these  schools 
is  well  bestowed,  and  must  have  their  reward. 

For  quite  opposite  reasons,  a  peculiar  interest  attaches 
to  the  Girls'  Boarding  School.  For  there  the  ignorant 
and  otherwise  hopeless  Pariah  girl  is  transformed,  by 
faithful,  painstaking  care  and  the  grace  of  God,  into  the 
intelligent  Christian  woman,  with  a  kind  and  degree  of 
refinement  impossible  otherwise,  and  delightful  to  be- 
hold. It  was  a  beautiful  surprise  and  welcome  on  Tues- 
day evening,  when  the  gates  of  this  Compound  opened 
to  us  and  disclosed  the  seventy  girls  of  this  school  drawn 
up  in  lines  of  white,  and  sweetly  singing.  As  they 
turned  away  from  the  verandah  after  being  dismissed, 
Dr.  Scudder  said:  "See  what  Christianity  can  do. 
These  are  all  raised  up  out  of  the  gutter."  It  seemed 
impossible  to  believe,  as  we  assembled  on  V/ednesday 
evening  in  the  schoolroom  to  witness  the  exercises  at- 
tending the  distribution  of  prizes,  which  had  been  kindly 
deferred  by  Mrs.  Scudder  that  we  might  be  present. 
The  older  scholars  were  massed,  "  rank  above  rank,"  in 
solid  mass  against  the  wall.  The  room  was  decorated 
for  the  occasion  by  the  girls  themselves,  and  with  in 
vited  guests  was  full,  while  many  stood  by  the  windows 
on  the  verandah.  Songs  and  exercises,  calisthenic  and 
others,  preceded  the  distribution.  Happier  faces,  more 
lustrous  eyes  or  beaming  smiles  could  not  be  seen  any- 
where.    No  vN^onder  that  these  giils  are  themselves  cov- 


48  FAR  HENCE 

eted  as  prizes  by  the  young  men  who  leave  the  schools 
and  enter  the  service  of  the  Mission,  nor  that  one  of  Mrs. 
Scudder's  chief  cares  is  to  make  a  wise  and  proper  dis- 
tribution in  this  case  also. 

The  many  friends  and  patrons  of  this  school  and  these 
girls,  would  have  been  interested  to  go  with  us  the  fol- 
lowing day  and  see  them  at  their  work,  and  to  inspect 
their  school  and  bed  and  dining-rooms — the  latter  a  long 
and  wide  verandah  on  one  side  of  an  open  court.  Some 
of  the  classes  were  studying  or  reading  or  reciting  in 
English  or  Tamil.  Some,  budding  teachers  in  the  Nor- 
mal department,  were  trying  their  'prentice  hand  on 
groups  of  small  urchins  gathered  in  for  them  to  experi- 
ment upon.  The  bell  rang  for  dinner,  and  the  long  line 
filed  out  into  the  court ;  a  few  proceeded  to  the  kitchen, 
and  from  thence  handed  out  theheaped-up  bowls  of  rice 
and  curry,  which  were  passed  from  hand  to  hand  till 
each  one  had  her  portion.  Then  sitting  down,  each  with 
her  bowl  before  her,  they  waited  reverently  while  one  of 
their  number  asked  God's  blessing  on  their  meal  ;  then 
curiously,  while  that  mysterious  instrument,  the  kodak, 
was  levelled  at  them  ;  then  shyly,  as  though  they  would 
not  eat  while  strangers  were  looking  on.  So  we  turned 
and  left  them  with  a  farewell  "  salaam,"  thoroughly  in 
love  with  the  Female  Seminary  at  Vellore. 

Even  at  the  risk  of  making  this  already  long  letter  too 
long  altogether,  mention  ought  to  be  made  of  the  meet- 
ing this  morning  in  the  church,  when  the  native  breth- 
ren, the  girls'  school,  and  helpers  and  representatives 
from  neighboring  villages  were  present.  The  church,  its 
walls  and  columns  dressed  with  garlands  of  green,  and 
pulpit  and  open  space  with  plants  of  variegated  foliage, 
was  filled  with  as  attentive  and  appreciative  an  audience 
as  one  could  wish  to  address.  Several  lyrics  were  sung, 
and  earnest  prayers  offered  by  the  native  brethren.     The 


FAR  HENCE  49 

message  delivered  on  behalf  of  the  Reformed  Church  in 
America  to  the  Reformed  Church  in  India  was  founded 
on  Jude  20-25.  '^^e  hearty  "  Amen  "  from  the  entire 
congregation,  which  followed  every  prayer  in  this  and 
all  other  gatherings  of  these  churches,  and  the  decorous, 
reverent  hush  and  quiet  for  a  few  moments  after  the 
benediction  is  pronounced,  might  well  be  imitated  by  the 
Church  at  home. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

AMONG    THE    HILLS. 

CooNOOR,  February  22 
CooNOOR  has  been  for  a  long  series  of  years  the  only 
sanitarium  of  the  Mission.  The  excessive  heat  of  the 
plains  during  the  hot  season  rendered  some  change 
necessary  to  the  missionary  families,  not  only  for  com- 
fort, but  for  health.  Coming,  as  we  did,  in  the  cooler  sea- 
son, and  constantly  reminded,  "  Oh,  this  is  not  hot  wea- 
ther ;  this  is  our  winter,"  the  change,  even  now,  was  ex- 
ceedingly grateful  and  refreshing.  What  it  must  be 
later  on  it  was  possible  to  conceive.  If '*  winter "  has 
days  fully  equal  in  discomfort  to  the  "  dog-days  "  of  a 
heated  term  in  the  neighborhood  of  New  York,  what 
must  "summer"  be?  So,  till  within  recent  years,  each 
family  has  been  wont  to  spend  three  of  the  hottest 
months  in  each  alternate  year  at  Coonoor,  where  the 
Mission  has  a  cottage  beautifully  located  on  a  wooded 
knoll  and  bearing  the  euphonious  name  of  "  Wyoming." 
Within  a  few  years,  however,  the  attractive  point  has 
shifted  to  Kodai  Kanal,  on  the  Pulney  Hills,  within  the 
field  occupied  by  the  Madura  Mission  of  the  Ameri- 
can Board.  It  has  the  double  advantage  of  greater  ele- 
vation (being  higher  by  one  thousand  feet),  with  more 
bracing  air,  and  of  uniting,  in  social  and  Christian  inter- 
course and  fellowship,  with  a  large  number  of  mission- 
aries from  Madura  and  elsewhere.  Thus,  not  only  phys- 
ical but  mental  and  spiritual  refreshment  and  stimulus 
are  obtained.  There,  too,  the  Mission  has  a  house  called 
*•  Arcotia,"  and  thither  every  family  has  liberty  to  repair 
for    two    months    in    each    year.      Between    these    two 


FAR    HENCE  51 

retreats,  each  having  special  attractions  of  its  own,  but 
only  one  of  which  could  be  visited  for  lack  of  time, 
choice  was  not  easy.  The  existence  of  a  flourishing 
church  at  the  former,  and  the  presence  and  earnest  invi- 
tation of  delegates  from  it  at  Arni,  finally  decided  us  in 
favor  of  Coonoor.  Nor  had  we  reason  to  regret  the 
choice. 

Lying  well  up  on  the  Nilgiri  Hills,  at  an  elevation  of 
6,100  feet  above  the  sea  level,  it  is  not  specially  easy  of 
access.  Leaving  Vellore  at  9.30  p.  m.,  of  the  i8th,  under 
the  escort  of  the  Rev.  E.  C.  Scudder,  Jr.,  a  railroad  ride 
of  fourteen  hours  brought  us  to  Mettupalyam.  There, 
for  the  present,  the  railroad  ends,  and  further  progress 
is  made  in  a  "tonga."  This  is  a  peculiar  vehicle  of  two 
wheels  and  two  seats  back  to  back,  of  the  nature  of  a  dog 
cart,  but  very  strong  and  heavy,  as  the  needs  of  the  road 
require.  From  this  projects  a  heavy  tongue,  or  pole,  to 
which  horses  are  attached  by  an  iron  yoke  fastened  se- 
curely to  the  saddle.  The  luggage  is  stored  beneath, 
before,  behind  and  on  the  sides.  The  driver  and,  at  the 
most,  three  passengers,  take  their  seats,  the  whip  is 
cracked  and  off  the  "  tonga  "  starts,  at  a  rate  which  it 
seems  impossible  to  maintain,  but  which  is  kept  up  for 
six  miles,  till  the  base  of  the  mountain  is  reached.  The 
road  is  for  the  most  part  well  shaded,  and  the  air  loaded 
with  fragrance.     The  heat  is  intense. 

At  this  point  a  river  is  crossed.  The  bridge  was  swept 
away  by  a  flood  many  months  ago,  and  the  leisurely  re- 
pairs show  no  signs  of  approaching  completion.  Hence, 
it  is  necessary  to  dismount  and  cross  a  narrow  foot  bridge 
while  the  luggage  is  carried  over  on  the  heads  of  men  and 
women.  Another  vehicle  of  the  same  description  waits 
on  the  other  side,  and  when  all  is  duly  transferred, we  take 
our  places  and  are  off  again  at  the  same  rapid  pace.  The 
road    is   a  specially   fine  one,  of    easy  grade,  ascending 


52  FAR  HENCE 

evenly  for  sixteen  miles.  But  the  pace  is  killing,  and 
the  faithful  little  beasts  are  changed  every  two  miles  till 
the  town  is  reached.  Beautiful  views  of  the  mountains 
open  before  us,  or  are  spread  at  our  feet  as  we  ascend — 
the  slopes  clothed  with  forests  of  waving  and  graceful 
bamboos  or  straight  and  stately  Areca  palms  for  many 
miles. 

The  town  of  Coonoor  lies  in  an  amphitheatre  of 
wooded  hills,  its  white  walls  gleaming  brightly  against 
the  dark  and  heavy  masses  of  green.  It  is  not  specially 
attractive — no  Indian  town  that  we  have  seen  is,  with  the 
exception  of  Vellore.  But  the  foreign  residents  live  in 
cottages  and  villas  perched  on  the  adjacent  summits,  of 
which  there  are  many,  and  commanding  magnificent 
views.  The  woods  are  penetrated  and  intersected  by 
roads,  built  in  the  highest  style  of  the  art,  kept  in  per- 
fect repair,  and  level  as  a  floor.  Trees  overarch  them, 
banks  of  fragrant  roses,  heliotrope  and  lantana  ablaze 
with  glory,  hedge  them  in.  One  could  hardly  imagine  or 
desire  a  more  charming  retreat  among  the  hills. 

In  the  valleys  and  on  the  slopes  are  many  extensive 
coffee  and  tea  plantations,  owned  by  English  residents, 
and  employing  thousands  of  coolies.  Among  the  latter 
much  faithful  missionary  work  is  done,  and  more  might 
be. 

Under  the  guidance  of  Mr.  Thomas  Stanes,  one  of 
these  proprietors,  we  visited  his  estate  of  "Glendale," 
and  were  initiated  into  all  the  processes  of  tea-making. 
The  plants  are  set  in  rows,  sending  their  roots  deep  into 
the  soil,  and  when  well  grown,  covering  the  ground  with 
a  screen  of  dark  green  leaves.  By  heavy  pruning  the 
plants  grow  thick  and  stocky,  and  after  being  pruned 
put  forth  tender  shoots  of  a  yellowish  green.  It  is  of 
these  tender  shoots  and  the  leaves  attached  to  them  that 
the  tea  is  made — none,  of  the  larger  and  darker  leaves. 


FAR  HENCE  53 

When  this  condition  is  attained — called  a  *' flush" — pick- 
ing begins.  By  judiciously  timed  pruning,  picking  is 
continued  throughout  the  year.  The  tender  leaves  are 
taken  in  baskets  to  the  factory,  and  there  first  laid  out 
on  long  stretches  of  bagging  to  wither,  but  not  to  dry. 
When  properly  withered,  which  is  accomplished  in  a  few 
hours,  they  are  transferred  to  a  rolling  machine,  and 
thence  in  shallow  trays  to  the  hot-air  chamber,  where 
they  are  dried  by  fire,  the  "  curling"  being  done  not  by 
heat,  but  by  the  roller.  When  dried  sufficiently,  the  tea, 
now  redolent  of  its  peculiar  flavor,  is  piled  in  heaps  to  be 
sorted  by  women.  Then  slightly  heated  again,  it  is 
packed,  while  warm,  into  lead-lined  chests,  or  leaden 
canisters,  and  hermetically  sealed.  It  is  now  ready  for 
the  market,  and  finds  a  ready  sale  in  India  and  in 
Europe,  and  is  beginning  to  make  its  way  to  America. 
Certain  special  sorts,  secured  by  selecting  the  tips  of  the 
shoots — called  "  golden  tips  " — bring  fabulous  prices. 
A  sample  was  given  us  of  a  kind  that,  at  a  recent  sale  in 
London,  brought  ^5 — $25 — a  pound. 

The  Church  at  Coonoor  seems  to  partake  of  the  in- 
dependent spirit  which  usually  characterizes  the  dwel- 
lers on  mountains.  Not  always  manifesting  it  in  a 
commendable  way,  it  is  at  present  in  a  flourishing  con- 
dition. It  has  some  valuable  and  energetic  members, 
and  shows  an  aggressive  and  evangelistic  temper  that  is 
worthy  of  all  praise.  It  is  also  devotedly  attached  to 
the  Reformed  Dutch  Church.  When  several  times,  in 
its  own  interest,  the  project  has  been  mooted  of  transfer- 
ring it  to  the  care  of  some  other  mission  nearer  at  hand 
than  ours,  it  has  as  often  declared  that  it  would  not  be 
transferred,  that  if  relinquished  by  the  Arcot  Mission,  it 
would  still  remain  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church  of 
Coonoor.  The  "  Dutch  "  is  not  in  brackets,  either,  but 
an  integral  portion  of  its  loved  and  boasted  title.     It  was 


54  FAR  HENCE 

reserved  for  us  to  see,  for  the  first  time,  here  in  the 
mountains  of  India,  the  Lord's  Supper  served  after  the 
old  Dutch  fashion,  the  communicants  seated  at  a  long 
table  running  down  the  aisle.  A  number  of  English 
friends  were  present  at  the  service,  who  have  manifested 
a  deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  Church.  It  was 
truly  a  feast  of  love,  and  one  long  to  be  remembered. 
It  may  be  imagined  that  this  church  would  not  allow 
itself  to  be  outdone  by  those  on  the  plain,  in  the  hearti- 
ness and  cordiality  of  the  reception  accorded  to  its  visit- 
ors. Nor  was  it.  The  scene  is  not  only  photographed 
in  memory,  but  by  the  camera  as  well. 


CHAPTER  X. 

COONOOR  TO  PALMANER,  AND  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY. 

Palmaner,  February  25 
Facilis  descensus.  Easy  but  frightful  !  We  started 
from  Coonoor  Tuesday  morning  after  prayer  in  the 
church,  with  the  school  and  some  of  the  native  brethren, 
commending  one  another  to  the  grace  of  God.  The  same 
sort  of  vehicle  received  us,  drawn  by  two  diminutive, 
scrubby  little  ponies,  that  seemed  each  moment  in  danger 
of  falling  and  being  run  over  and  killed.  The  driver  plied 
his  lash  relentlessly,  and  on  they  flew,  round  the  sharp 
corners  and  down  the  smooth  incline.  The  lazy  bul- 
locks creeping  up  had  hardly  time  to  hear  the  driver's 
shout  and  crawl  out  of  the  path  before  we  were  on  them, 
past  them,  down  and  down  and  down,  as  fast  as  the 
little  feet  could  fly.  With  only  one  change  of  ponies  we 
accomplished,  in  an  hour  and  a  half,  the  sixteen  miles 
that  had  taken  several  hours  in  the  ascent.  The  fervent 
ejaculation  of  at  least  one  member  of  the  party  on  reach- 
ing the  foot  of  the  mountain  was:  "  No  more  tonga  rides 
for  me."  By  1.25  p.m.  we  were  once  more  on  board  the 
cars,  from  which  we  descended  at  2.30  the  following 
morning,  at  Gudiyatam,  prepared  for  a  long  bullock 
ride  of  twenty-six  miles  to  Palmaner. 

After  the  long,  hot,  dusty  railway  ride,  there  was 
something  peculiarly  refreshing  in  the  exchange.  The 
pace  was  slow,  growing  slower  and  slower  still  as  our 
bullocks  were  exchanged,  every  few  miles,  for  other  and 
poorer  ones.  But  the  air  was  cool.  The  stars  gleamed 
with  a  peculiar  brightness  as  we  caught  glimpses  of 
them  through  the  trees  which,  for  many  miles,  overhung 


56  FAR    HENCE 

the  road.  Often  we  came  upon  bullock  carts  whose 
drivers  were  too  sleepy,  and  the  beasts  too  stupid,  to 
turn  out — bursting  out  of  the  gloom  only  to  disappear 
like  ships  in  a  fog  at  sea.  Now  and  again  we  passed 
through  a  sleeping  village,  or  one  whose  inhabitants 
were  just  beginning  to  waken  and  creep  forth.  Like 
shadowy  ghosts  they  looked,  wrapped  in  long  white 
clothes  like  winding  sheets.  Soon  the  birds  began  to 
twitter  in  the  trees,  the  gray  East  to  redden  toward  the 
dawn.  It  found  us  creeping  up  the  (xhat,  among  a  sea 
of  hills.  Slowly  the  sun  climbed,  but  not  so  slow  as  we. 
His  rays  began  to  scorch — the  way  grew  hot  and  weary, 
and  we  sighed  for  the  end.      Happily  the  end  was  near. 

Turning  aside  a  little  from  the  road  to  view  a  noted 
banyan  tree,  we  found  spread  beneath  its  welcome  shade 
a  simple  breakfast,  sent  forward  to  refresh  us  by  the 
thoughtful  kindness  of  Mrs.  Wm.  Scudder.  It  was  a  spot 
well  chosen.  Above  us  the  thick  spreading  canopy  of 
leaves,  shutting  out  the  sun.  About  us  the  many  stems 
and  columns  of  the  tree,  itself  grown  into  a  grove  by  the 
sending  out  of  its  branches  and  the  dropping  and  root- 
ing of  their  long,  cable-like  tendrils — if  tendrils  they  can 
be  called.  The  area  covered  by  this  tree  must  have  been 
nearly  two  hundred  feet  in  diameter.  In  the  midst  of 
the  central  trunk — now  partially  decayed — a  shrine  had 
been  set  up,  to  which  offerings  were  evidently  made. 
Beneath  the  welcome  shade,  seated  on  the  ground,  we 
paid  our  attention,  not  to  the  god  of  the  tree,  but  to  the 
meal  furnished,  and  made  offerings  of  food  to  our  own 
keen  appetites.  Yet  one  can  hardly  wonder  that,  in 
such  a  country,  where  superstition  holds  all  minds  in 
thraldom — and,  most  of  all,  the  country-folk — a  spirit 
should  be  supposed  to  reside  in  such  a  temple.  Re- 
freshed and  grateful,  and  with  ponies  substituted  for 
bullocks,  we  were  soon  driving  up  to   the  bungalow  at 


BUNGALOW  AT  PALMANER.  INDIA. 


FAR  HENCE  37 

Palmaner,  and  receiving  the  cordial  greetings  of  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Scudder.  Our  sympathies  are  with  them  as  we 
remember  that  the  road  over  which  we  came  is  the  short- 
est way  of  reaching  Palmaner. 

As  is,  or  ought  to  be,  well-known,  Palmaner  is  the 
seat  of  the  Theological  Seminary  in  the  Arcot  Mission, 
the  latest,  but  not  the  least  important  of  such  institu- 
tions pertaining  to  the  Reformed  Church.  Into  the 
history  of  its  establishment  there  is  no  need  to  enter. 
Of  the  excellence  of  its  product  we  had  delightful 
demonstration  in  the  seven  graduates  licensed  at  Arni  to 
preach  the  Gospel.  It  was  a  pleasure  and  privilege  now 
to  visit  it,  doubly  grateful  because  the  life  of  its  honored 
professor  had  been  brought  up  again  from  the  borders 
of  the  grave  only  last  year.  Loved  as  a  father  by  his 
students  and  heartily  devoted  to  his  work  of  training  in 
mind  and  heart  the  future  preachers  of  the  Church,  may 
he  long  be  spared  to  it  and  them. 

Providence  has  favored  the  seminary  in  the  buildings 
it  occupies  and  the  grounds  by  which  they  are  sur- 
rounded, admirably  adapted  for  the  purpose  as  they  are. 
The  property  of  a  native  Rajah,  they  are  rented  for  the 
nominal  sum  of  rupees,  25  a  month — less  than  $10  !  The 
grounds  include  several  acres.  The  substantial  bunga- 
low, with  broad  verandah,  spreads  widely,  covering  not 
only  spacious  rooms  for  study,  lecture-room,  library  and 
recitation  rooms,  but  dormitories  for  the  students  and 
homes  for  the  native  teachers  or  professors.  An  adjoin- 
ing building  furnishes  rooms  for  helpers  who  come  with 
their  wives  for  special  training  or  to  pursue  the  regular 
course  of  instruction.  Four  of  such  helpers  who  have 
entered  the  present  Junior  Class  are  thus  accommodated. 
It  is  proposed  to  have  a  training  class  for  their  wives 
also,  under  the  care  of  Miss  M.  K.  Scudder,  who  was 
transferred  to  this  station  from    Madanapalle  at  the  late 


58  FAR  HENCE 

meeting  of  the  Mission.  It  is  an  excellent  plan,  and  one 
that  must  produce  good  results  in  the  villages  or  towns 
to  which  these  helpers  may  hereafter  be  assigned. 

The  great,  perhaps  the  only,  lack  in  this  situation  is 
the  want  of  a  sufficient  field  for  evangelistic  effort  on  the 
part  of  the  students  immediately  about  them,  or  within 
easy  reach.  The  village  itself  is  small.  A  neat  little 
church  of  white,  overlooking  a  prettily  shaded  tank,  ac- 
commodates the  not  large  village  congregation.  Bazar 
and  feast  days  and  Sundays,  however,  afford  opportuni- 
ties for  preaching  by  the  students,  which  are  faithfully 
embraced.  And  it  was  pleasing  to  note,  in  the  address 
presented  by  the  teachers  and  students,  the  expression 
of  the  conviction  that  "  India  must  be  brought  to  Christ, 
not  by  Americans  but  by  Hindus."  This  is  the  true 
philosophy  of  evangelization  for  this  and  every  other 
heathen  country.  To  raise  up  the  men  to  do  this  work 
on  the  ground,  is  the  high  purpose  and  the  blessed  office 
of  this  "  school  of  the  prophets."  May  there  yet  come 
forth  from  it,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  men  of  mental 
force  and  spiritual  power,  who  shall  be  able  mightily  to 
move  the  hearts  of  their  countrymen  and  turn  multitudes 
to  righteousness. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

MADANAPALLE,    BY    WAY    OF    PUNGANUR. 

Madanapalle,  March  7 
Our  march  from  Palmaner  to  this  place  was  begun  at 
6.30  A.M.  of  February  27.  The  first  stage  was  made  by 
coolie  power,  three  men  pulling  and  three  pushing  from 
behind,  and  at  a  fairly  rapid  pace.  Thus  we  made  seven 
miles  to  a  small  village,  where  Dr.  Chamberlain's  car- 
riage, with  a  pair  of  bullocks,  was  found  waiting  for  us. 
In  this  we  journeyed  slowly  for  twelve  miles  more,  the 
sun  sending  down  his  scorching  rays,  and  everything 
about  us,  as  well  as  ourselves,  testifying  to  their  power. 
It  was  sad  to  note  the  increasing  evidences  of  the  effect 
of  long  continued  drought.  The  region  from  hence 
northward  and  eastward  has  been  the  most  affected  by 
lack  of  rain  and  consequent  scarcity  of  food,  distress  and 
famine  prices.  Scarcely  a  tank  had  any  water.  Field 
after  field,  thousands  of  acres  in  the  aggregate,  lay  per- 
fectly bare,  no  attempt  having  been  made  to  cultivate 
them.  The  earth  was  hard  and  baked,  as  though  turned 
to  stone,  and  many  trees  were  leafless.  With  no  hope  of 
rain  for  at  least  two  months,  the  prospect  was  disheart- 
ening indeed. 

Our  journey  of  nineteen  miles  brought  us  near  noon 
to  Punganur.  This  is  a  considerable  town  nearly  mid- 
way between  Palmaner  and  Madanapalle.  It  is  the 
abode  and  capital  of  a  Rajah  who  has  a  sort  of  nominal 
suzerainty  over  the  district,  and  has  shown  great  favor 
to  the  Mission  and  its  work.  His  house  in  town,  by 
courtesy  as  well  as  by  contrast  called  "  palace,*'  is  always 
at  the  service    of    the  missionaries   when   staying  in   or 


6o  FAR    HENCE 

passing  througli  the  town.  There  we  were  received  and 
entertained  by  the  Rev,  and  Mrs.  W.  I.  Chamberlain  and 
Miss  M.  K.  Scudder,  the  Rajah  himself  being  absent. 
A  band  of  men  with  native  music  met  and  escorted  us 
within  the  court,  where  a  brass  band,  maintained  by  the 
prince,  greeted  us  with  somewhat  discordant  strains.  At 
the  entrance  stood  a  large  elephant,  and  within  the 
court  were  cages  containing  tigers,  leopards,  monkeys, 
etc.,  for  the  prince's  delectation  and  that  of  the 
public. 

The  High  School  here  is  known  as  the  American  Mis- 
sion High  School,  having  been  placed  entirely  under  the 
care  of  the  Mission,  or  of  the  Rev.  Wm.  Chamberlain  as 
representing  it.  Though  its  pupils  are  non-Christians, 
the  Bible  forms  a  prominent  text-book.  It  is  attended 
by  two  sons  and  two  nephews  of  the  Rajah,  who  pursue 
the  same  studies,  and  are  subject  to  the  same  regulations 
and  discipline  as  the  other  scholars.  The  prince  be- 
stows on  it  a  considerable  subsidy,  which,  together  with 
fees  and  government  grants,  makes  it  more  than  self- 
sustaining.  There  is,  also,  a  flourishing  Caste  Girls' 
School  under  the  care  of  Miss  M.  K.  Scudder,  who  comes 
frequently  fifteen  miles  from  Madanapalle  to  visit  it. 
It  is  taught  by  a  bright  and  interesting  Hindu  widow. 
A  reading  room  is  opened  in  the  centre  of  the  town  and 
has  many  visitors,  some  of  them  among  the  officials  and 
principal  men.  A  good  supply  of  periodicals  and  reading 
matter  is  provided,  largely  through  the  enterprise  of  the 
intelligent  and  indefatigable  helper,  Lazar  Marian,  All 
these  places  it  was  our  privilege  to  visit  and  inspect. 

The  prize  distribution  in  the  High  School  had  been 
deferred  for  our  coming.  Attended  by  native  music  and 
a  curious  crowd  of  followers,  we  repaired  thither  after  a 
comforting  breakfast  in  the  palace.  A  heathen  festival 
was    being   celebrated   in  a  neighboring  town,   and  had 


FAR    HENCE  6i 

drawn  away  large  numbers  of  the  people.  But  the 
handsome  and  commodious  school  building  was 
thronged,  notwithstanding,  with  an  eager  company  of 
pupils,  officials  and  friends.  The  exercises  were  all  in 
English,  much  to  our  relief  and  edification,  and  were 
understood  of  the  majority.  The  attention  and  appar- 
ent interest  never  flagged,  and  "good  points"  were 
quickly  seen  and  appreciated.  It  was  interesting  to 
listen  to  the  report  of  the  headmaster  and  the  declama- 
tions by  some  of  the  scholars,  who  admirably  performed 
their  parts,  and  to  see  the  happy  faces  of  the  favored 
ones  as  the  prizes  w^ere  put  into  their  hands.  And  it 
was  doubly  interesting  to  note  the  respectful  attention 
with  which  words  insisting  on  the  truth  and  value  of  the 
Bible,  and  the  importance  of  its  study  to  a  true  know- 
ledge of  God,  were  listened  to  by  such  an  audience.  In 
fact,  few  things  have  impressed  me  more  deeply  on  the 
many  occasions  when  such  things  have  been  uttered  in 
the  hearing  of  Hindus  and  Mohammedans  alike.  Does 
it  betray  a  concealed  conviction  that,  after  all,  the  Bible 
is  true,  and  God's  revelation  to  man  ? 

From  the  High  School  the  same  procession  escorted 
us  to  the  reading  room,  which  was  soon  filled  to  its  ut- 
most capacity,  the  leading  officials  of  the  town  heading 
and  acting  as  spokesmen  for  the  rest.  Thence  to  the 
Girls'  School,  where  the  bright  faces,  delicate  forms  and 
features,  and  abundant  jewels,  with  which  we  have  be- 
come so  familiar,  were  again  presented  to  our  vision  as 
the  happy  little  ones  rose  and  gracefully  saluted  us  with 
"salaams"  and  "Good  morning."  These  schools  are 
pleasing  as  pictures  of  girlish  beauty  and  awakening 
thought,  but  far  more  as  promises  of  better  things  in 
store  for  the  women  into  which  these  girls  will  grow, 
and  for  others  like  them,  through  the  lessons  they  are 
learning  here.     We  could  not  but  feel  that,  with  such  in- 


62  FAR  HENCE 

fluences  at  work,  and  with  the  faithful  preaching  of  the 
Gospel,  there  is  much  hope  for  Punganur. 

Another  fifteen  miles,  this  time  by  horses,  brought  us 
to  Madanapalle.  It  was  6.30,  and  the  evening  shades 
were  gathering  as  we  approached  the  village  and  the 
Mission  compound.  Here,  too,  as  usual,  the  "  Welcome  " 
overflowed  and  met  us  on  the  way.  Borne  on  its  tide 
we  floated  within  the  gates,  where  the  girls  of  the  Board- 
ing School,  as  at  Vellore,  were  waiting  to  receive  us  with 
happy  songs.  Two  little  maidens,  with  aprons  full  of 
flower  petals,  scattered  them  in  the  road  before  us  till 
we  reached  the  house,  where,  on  the  broad  verandah.  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Chamberlain  gave  us  their  hearty  greeting, 
and  we  were  at  home  once  more.  Those  happy,  kindly, 
hospitable  homes  in  India  !  We  can  never  forget  them, 
nor  the  Christian  affection  that  flowed  to  us  in  them  all. 

It  is  impossible  here,  as  it  has  been  elsewhere,  to  enter 
into  details  as  I  would  like  and  the  condition  of  things 
and  memorable  incidents  deserve.  Else  you  should 
hear  of  the  daily  prayers  in  Telugu  on  the  verandah; 
the  grand  reception  accorded  us  on  Wednesday  evening, 
with  song  and  poem  and  addresses  composed  for  the 
occasion;  the  Girls'  Boarding  School  and  that  of  the 
boys,  both  in  the  same  compound  with  the  home  of  the 
missionaries  and  under  their  immediate  eye,  and  both  in 
flourishing  condition;  the  town  schools,  where  more 
than  a  hundred  heathen  children  are  gathered  daily  for 
instruction;  the  Sunday-schools,  in  one  of  which  we  saw 
150  of  these  heathen  children,  and  heard  them  repeat  the 
Catechism  and  texts  of  Scripture,  and  sing  the  praise 
and  love  of  Jesus;  the  communion  service  on  our  second 
Sabbath,  when  the  little  church  was  thronged  with 
reverent  communicants,  and  words  of  cheer  and  counsel 
were  spoken  in  Telugu  and  English;  all  these  and  more 
deserve  fitting  mention,  but  cannot  have  it  here. 


FAR    HENCE  63 

On  Monday  afternoon  of  each  week  is  held  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  The  teachers  and  older 
scholars  in  the  Boarding  School,  with  some  of  the  help- 
ers, are  divided  into  bands  which  go,  on  every  Sabbath, 
to  the  surrounding  villages  and  preach  the  Gospel.  On 
Monday  they  meet  for  prayer  and  counsel,  and  each 
band  gives,  through  its  leader  or  captain,  its  report  of 
the  work  done  the  day  before.  It  was  interesting  to 
hear  them,  one  after  another,  rise  and  state  whither  they 
had  gone,  how  they  had  fared,  and  how  many  had  heard 
through  them  the  words  of  life.  One  of  their  number, 
John  Yesuratnam,  one  of  the  recent  licentiates,  waxed 
very  earnest  in  his  plea  for  these  benighted  villagers, 
and  prayed  that  at  least  four  missionaries  might  be  sent 
from  America  to  aid  those  now  laboring  in  the  Telugu 
field.  This  young  man  is  the  son  of  John  Souri,  one  of 
the  pastors  of  the  Madanapalle  church,  whose  name  is 
known  to  many  in  America,  more  especially  to  the  Sun- 
day school  at  Kinderhook.  That  his  earnestness  was 
not  affected  I  had  this  striking  proof.  When  his  first 
month's  salary  of  eleven  rupees  was  paid  him,  he  re- 
turned ten^  wishing  it  to  be  given  to  the  work  of  the 
Lord  as  a  kind  of  first-fruits.  (A  similar  case  was  re- 
ported to  me  at  Arni,  of  a  young  man  who  had  failed  to 
pass  his  examinations  for  a  certificate,  and  had  afterward 
pursued  his  studies  with  the  advice  and  aid  of  the  mis- 
sionary. Having  thus  succeeded  in  obtaining  the  desired 
certificate,  and  have  been  taken  into  the  employ  of  the 
Mission,  he  brought  back  his  entire  salary  for  the  first 
month  as  a  thank-offering  for  the  success  the  Lord  had 
granted  him.)     Comment  is  needless. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

AMONG    THE    TELUGU    VILLAGES. 

Madanapalle,  March  7 
Once  a  year  the  helpers  of  each  station  are  gathered 
at  their  station  for  examination  on  subjects  previously 
assigned,  and  on  which  they  are  supposed  to  have  pre- 
pared themselves  by  study  throughout  the  year.  The 
examination  is  in  writing,  and  simultaneous  at  all  the 
stations.  Somewhat  elaborate  papers  are  drawn  up,  in 
English  for  those  who  understand  that  language,  and  for 
the  rest  in  Tamil  and  Telugu.  Judging  from  the  English 
specimen  I  saw,  one  must  have  a  pretty  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  books  or  topics  embraced  to  be  able  to  answer 
at  all  creditably  the  questions  proposed.  Last  week 
this  examination  came  off,  so  that  we  came  upon  it  here 
at  Madanapalle.  For  those  who  have  not  had  the  ad- 
vantage of  training  in  the  Theological  Seminary,  as  by 
far  the  larger  number  of  the  helpers  have  not,  such  an 
examination,  and  the  study  it  involves,  must  be  of  the 
highest  value.  It  serves  to  keep  their  minds  employed 
on  something  beyond  their  round  of  duties,  gives  them 
an  incentive  to  study,  familiarizes  them  with  the  books 
of  Scripture  and  the  doctrines  under  review,  and,  alto- 
gether, tends  to  furnish  them  more  thoroughly  for  their 
work.  Under  all  the  circumstances  it  would  be  hard  to 
devise  a  system  better  adapted  to  secure  this  result. 

Anxious  to  see  something  of  the  villages  in  the  Telugu 
field,  as  well  as  in  the  Tamil,  I  accepted  the  Rev.  Wm. 
Chamberlain's  invitationr  to  accompany  him  to  two  of 
the  remoter  ones,  lying  near  together,  eighteen  miles 
north  of  Madanapalle.  It  is  among  the  villages  that  the 
hardest  and  most  laborious,  yet  often  the  most  success- 
ful   and    fruitful,   work    is    done.     At    Tindivanam,    for 


FAR    HENCE  65 

example,  the  village  congregation  is  not  large,  nor  the 
work,  apart  from  the  schools,  exacting.  But  the  villages 
connected  with  it  embrace  a  number  of  flourishing  con- 
gregations and  several  organized  churches,  and  are 
scattered  over  a  wide  extent  of  country.  While  nomi- 
nally, and  only  nominally,  the  pastor  of  the  station 
church,  the  missionary  is  virtually  the  bishop  of  a  spread- 
ing diocese,  including  all  these  villages  and  churches. 
It  is  so  at  Madanapalle,  with  this  exception,  that,  as  yet, 
no  church  has  been  organized  outside  of  the  town  itself, 
and  communicants  in  the  villages  look  to  that  as  their 
church  centre  and  home.  For  this  reason  the  church 
has  two  native  pastors,  the  Rev.  P.  Souri,  who  has  the 
special  care  of  the  town  congregation,  and  the  Rev.  John 
Souri,  whose  special  duty  it  is  to  look  after  the  sheep 
scattered  among  the  villages. 

The  two  selected  for  our  visit  were  Timmareddipalle 
and  Nalcheruvapalle,  lying  opposite  one  another  on 
either  side  of  the  great  northern  road.  Starting  about 
noon,  in  Dr.  Chamberlain's  large  carriage  drawn  by  bul- 
locks, we  made  our  way  slowly  through  the  drought  and 
famine  stricken  region  of  which  I  have  already  spoken 
in  a  special  note.  It  was  after  four  when  we  arrived  at 
Nalcheruvapalle  and  entered  the  little  church.  No 
description  that  I  can  give — no  language  of  which  I  am 
master — can  convey  any  impression  of  the  reality  of 
these  villages,  or  of  the  vast  majority  of  those  one  sees 
in  travelling  through  this  country.  The  irregular  and 
narrow  street  or  alleys,  the  low  mud  walls  and  thatched 
roofs,  the  half-clad  people  and  unclad  children,  the 
miserable  curs  that  bark  and  rush  at  every  comer,  the 
sheep  and  goats,  cattle  and  fowl,  sharing  the  earth-walled 
courts  or  yards  in  common  with  their  owners,  these  and 
other  features  must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated.  Yet  even 
in  the  midst  of  such  unpromising  surroundings  the  Lord 


66  FAR    HENCE 

has  His  own,  called,  chosen  and  faithful  ones,  many  of 
whom  shine  as  lights  in  a  dark  place.  The  little  church  of 
earth — used,  also,  for  a  school-room — and  the  helper's 
house,  humble  enough,  though  by  contrast  bright,  stand 
side  by  side,  a  little  withdrawn  from  the  main  village,  on 
the  slope  and  near  the  summit  of  a  rocky  knoll.  "  Up  to 
the  house  of  the  Lord  "  soon  came  the  Christian  people — 
poor  of  the  poorest,  yet  with  a  treasure  in  their  hearts  of 
which  their  neighbors  did  not  know.  They  have  sore 
need  of  it,  and  may  it  stand  them  in  good  stead  in  these 
trying  times.  Seated  before  us  on  the  floor,  with  faces 
intent,  it  was  a  pleasure  to  speak  to  them  of  their  far-off 
friends  and  brethren  in  America,  and  of  their  interest  in 
and  love  for  them — of  the  differences  that  separated  and 
the  essential  unities  that  bind  them  all,  here  and  there, 
into  one  body  in  Christ  Jesus.  But  it  was  sad,  afterward, 
to  hear  their  story  of  want  and  privation,  and  their 
apprehensions  for  the  future,  during  the  long  months  yet 
to  come  when  no  rain  is  to  be  looked  for.  Some  words  of 
cheer  and  hope  it  was  possible  to  speak,  but  they  seemed 
empty  in  the  presence  of  such  real  and  pressing  need. 

After  our  evening  meal,  and  in  the  gathering  darkness, 
we  took  our  way  across  the  fields  and  highway  to  Tim- 
mareddipalle,  preceded  by  a  faithful  company  bearing 
a  lantern,  singing  lyrics,  and  accompanied  by  a  stupend- 
ous horn  of  brass,  from  which,  ever  and  anon,  pro- 
ceeded ear  and  heaven-splitting  blasts  and  shrieks. 
These  served  their  purpose  of  arousing  the  neighboring 
villagers,  who  mustered  in  strong  force  to  meet  us,  with 
lanterns  and  torches,  and  musical  (?)  instruments,  both 
wind  and  string.  It  was  a  weird  spectacle,  and  one  not 
soon  to  be  forgotten.  Yet  swarthy  faces  beamed  kindly 
on  us  out  of  the  darkness,  and  voices  of  hearty  welcome 
sounded  cheerily  in  our  ears.  This  was  the  first  village 
in  this  region  to  receive  the  Gospel,  and  here,  after  some 


FAR  IHENCE  67 

strange  and  trying  vicissitudes,  it  still  retains  an  appar- 
ently firm  hold.  The  little  church,  though  larger  than 
the  other,  was  hardly  large  enough  to  contain  the  throng 
that  gathered.  Seated  before  us  on  the  tioor,  a  compact 
mass  of  black,  illuminated  (?)  by  the  feeble  flare  of  a 
single  lantern,  which  twice  went  out  and  left  us  all  in 
total  darkness,  it  was  yet  an  interesting  audience  to 
speak  to.  The  incident  of  the  extinguished  and  rekindled 
light  made  no  break  in  the  attention — it  may  have  been 
a  common  thing — while  it  served  as  a  fruitful  theme  for 
speech.  It  was  hard  to  get  away  from  these  good  friends, 
after  the  service  was  concluded,  so  far  did  they  insist  on 
going  with  us  on  our  way. 

At  length  the  waiting  carriage  was  reached — the  gar- 
lands and  cocoanuts  and  rock-candy,  with  which  we  had 
been  gifted,  as  well  as  our  weary  selves,  deposited 
therein,  and  then  at  last  and  finally  we  said  farewell.  By 
an  ingenious  arrangement  of  its  owner,  the  seats  of  this 
carriage  are  capable  of  being  so  adjusted  as  to  form  a 
bed,  a  great  convenience  where  travelling  is  so  largely 
in  the  night.  On  this  we  stretched  ourselves.  The  couch 
was  easy  and  the  road  was  smooth.  Sleep  should  have 
come  but  would  not,  to  one  pair  of  eyes  at  least.  It 
would  have  been,  indeed,  a  pity  to  lose  in  slumber  that 
strange  journey  under  the  bright  and  silent  stars.  More 
numerous  than  they  were  the  thoughts  that  crowded  on 
the  mind,  of  the  scenes  through  which  we  had  just  passed; 
of  the  great  multitudes  in  this  land  of  darkness  who  see 
no  bright  light  before  them  or  above  them,  and  know 
nothing  of  the  God  who  made  the  stars  and  them;  of 
the  faithful  toilers,  all  too  few,  to  whom  such  rewards 
have  already-  been  given,  and  larger  yet  shall  be, 
please  God,  and  of  those  infar-off  America,  in  our  happy 
land  and  our  loved  church,  to  whom  the  cry  of  these  mil- 
lions still  goes  out.     God  help  them  to  hear  and  heed. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CHITTOOR,    KATPADI    AND    ARCOT. 

Madras,  March  14 
After  Madanapalle,  there  remained  two  stations  yet 
to  be  visited,  Chittoor  and  Arcot.  To  accomplish  these 
it  was  necessary  to  make  a  very  early  start  from  Madan- 
apalle, which  we  did  at  4  a.  m.  of  the  8th  in  company 
with  the  Rev.  W.  I.  Chamberlain.  A  ride  of  twelve  miles, 
with  bullocks,  lay  before  us  before  reaching  the  railroad 
at  Vayalpad.  These  early  morning — and,  indeed,  the 
night — rides  are  far  pleasanter  than  if  made  by  day. 
The  air  is  cool,  and  has  a  freshness  which  soon  disap- 
pears when  once  the  burning  sun  lifts  his  face  above  the 
horizon.  The  very  bullocks  seem  to  love  these  hours, 
and  travel  far  better  than  in  the  heat  of  day. 

Vayalpad  is  at  present  the  nearest  railway  station  to 
Madanapalle — far  better  than  sixty  miles,  which  was  the 
shortest  distance  until  this  new  line  was  opened.  In  a 
few  weeks,  however,  they  expect  to  have  another  several 
miles  nearer.  The  town  is  of  considerable  size,  and  the 
inhabitants  are  still  intensely  bigoted.  The  evidences 
of  this  fact  were  everywhere  before  our  eyes  in  the  many 
small  temples — none  of  them  new,  however — and  the 
frequent  and  very  peculiar  shrines  which  abound,  on 
small,  square  stone  platforms,  exalted  on  four  stone  pil- 
lars that  must  be  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  feet  high. 
This  height  gives  them  a  very  singular,  long-legged  ap- 
pearance. In  spite,  however,  of  the  bigotry  and  the  ob- 
trusive manifestations  of  heathenism,  a  hold  has  been 
obtained,  and  we  were  glad  to  find  and  visit  the  interest- 
ing schools  which  are  kept  up  there.     A  rusty  car,  cov- 


FAR  HENCE  69 

ered  with  images  of  various  divinities,  and  mounted  on 
heavy  solid  wheels  of  w^ood  bound  with  iron,  and  in  a 
most  decayed  condition,  stood  by  the  wayside.  Its  con- 
dition seemed  to  indicate  the  approaching  decay  of  the 
superstitions  which  gave  it  its  existence,  and  which  still 
prompt  its  use  at  certain  seasons,  when  it  is  drawn 
through  the  town  amid  the  acclamations  of  multitudes. 
Chittoor  is  an  unusually  attractive  town,  as  towns  in 
India  go.  Its  streets  are  broader,  many  of  them  well 
shaded  with  noble  trees  of  various  kinds,  and  its  houses 
and  shops  seemed  of  a  rather  better  character.  It  is  a 
place,too,  of  considerable  importance,  both  the  Collector 
and  the  Judge  of  the  district  having  here  their  homes 
and  their  official  residence  as  well.  As  regards  the 
Mission,  too,  it  is  an  important  centre,  or  at  least  has 
been,  and  should  be  again.  A  good  mission  bungalow, 
in  good  condition,  awaits  the  occupancy  of  a  missionary, 
whose  coming  should  not  long  be  delayed.  In  the  same 
large  compound,  beside  the  houses  of  the  Catechist,  Jacob 
Raji  and  the  teachers,  are  the  fine  buildings  formerly 
occupied  by  the  Girls'  School — the  "Arcot  Female  Sem- 
inary,"— and,  after  that  was  removed  to  Vellore,  by  the 
Arcot  Academy.  All  these  buildings  are  ready  for  use, 
and  it  gave  me  a  feeling  of  sadness  to  walk  through  the 
deserted  rooms.  Chittoor,  also,  has  the  finest  church 
building  in  the  Mission,  erected  under  the  direction  of 
Dr.  Wm.  Scudder  many  years  ago.  There,  after  visiting 
the  schools,  it  was  a  pleasure  to  meet  a  large  congrega- 
tion, representing  not  only  the  town  itself,  but  several  of 
the  outlying  villages,  to  receive  their  address  of  greeting 
and  their  fragrant  garlands  and  copious  sprinkling  of 
rose  water,  and  respond  in  such  terms  as  one  could  com- 
mand. Their  review  of  the  work  that  had  been  done 
there,  and  their  grateful  mention  of  the  names  of  the 
several  missionaries  who  had  occupied  the  station  in  for- 


70  FAR  HENCE 

mer  years,  did  but  intensify  the  wish  to  be  able  to  assure 
them  that  the  Church  in  America  would  readily  increase 
the  number  of  its  missionaries  to  supply  their  want  and 
that  of  other  stations.  *'  The  harvest  "  here  and  in  other 
places  yet  to  be  mentioned,  might  truly  be  great  if  the 
laborers  were  not  so  few. 

From  Chittoor  to  Katpadi  is  a  short  run  by  rail. 
Having  enjoyed  the  kind  hospitality  of  Mrs.  Sewell,  who 
is  herself  the  daughter  of  an  honored  missionary,  the 
late  Dr.  Hay,  and  who,  with  Judge  Sewell,  her  husband, 
manifests  in  many  ways  her  interest  in  and  sympathy 
with  the  people  and  the  work  of  the  Mission,  we  left 
Chittoor  by  a  late  evening  train  for  the  latter  place. 
Here  one  of  the  oldest  and  ablest  of  the  pastors  is  sta- 
tioned, the  Rev.  Abraham  William.*  Tall  and  slender  in 
form,  with  a  bright  eye  and  keenly  intelligent  counte- 
nance, he  might  easily,  but  for  the  dark  shade  of  his  skin, 
pass  for  a  typical  Yankee.  Here  he  has  been  helped  of 
God  to  build  up  a  flourishing  church,  and  to  secure  a 
very  neat  and  attractive  church  building.  In  this  new 
church  it  was  his  strong  desire  that  we  should  hold  a  serv- 
ice. And  it  was  to  fulfil  a  conditional  promise  to  that  effect 
that  we  were  now  on  our  way.  Few  interior  town?,  or 
even  cities,  in  India  have  hotels  or  inns  for  the  entertain- 
ment of  travelers.  To  meet  their  necessities,  simple 
houses  of  shelter,  called  "dak  bungalows,"  are  main- 
tained at  government  expense.  A  butler  or  steward  is  in 
charge,  on  whom  the  traveller  may  make  his  requisitions 
for  food,  etc.,  and  to  whom  a  small  charge  is  paid  for  the 
accommodation  afforded.  Not  all  are  equally  good  or 
comfortable.  Since  the  establishment  of  railways  some 
have    been    discontinued    altogether,    and     are    falling 

*  It  is  sad  to  be  oblig^ed  to  record  the  death,  since  the  above  was  written,  of  this 
able,  intelligent  and  devoted  servant  of  God.  He  rests  from  abundant  and  fruitful 
labors,  and  his  works  follow  him. 


FAR    HENCE  71 

into  decay.  To  such  a  refuge  we  were  conducted,  with 
flaming  torch  and  lanterns,  by  our  friends.  We  found 
this  cheerfully  lighted,  a  table  spread  with  tea,  etc.,  a 
bedstead  and  two  or  three  chairs,  and  passed  a  very 
comfortable  night. 

The  little  church  is  directly  opposite  the  bungalow, 
and  service  had  been  arranged  for  six  o'clock  the  next 
morning.  In  the  bright  moonlight  the  arch  and  other 
external  decorations  provided  for  the  unusual  event 
were  plainly  to  be  seen.  Long  before  daylight  it  was 
necessary  to  be  stirring,  and  while  eating  our  simple 
breakfast  within  the  open  door,  we  could  see  the  people 
streaming  through  the  opposite  gate.  Taking  our  way 
over  at  the  hour  appointed,  under  the  conduct  of  Pastor 
Abraham,  we  found  the  church  already  filled.  The  pro- 
gramme arranged  included  the  baptism,  by  the  Secre- 
tary, of  five  infants,  over  whom,  after  the  service  had 
been  read  in  Telugu  by  Brother  Chamberlain,  it  was  a 
pleasure  to  administer  the  rite  which  admitted  them, 
visibly,  at  least,  into  the  fold  of  Christ.  A  number  of 
East  Indians,  or  Eurasians,  of  mixed  blood,  helped  com- 
pose the  congregation.  Some  of  them,  we  were  glad  to 
hear,  are  active  and  helpful  in  the  Church.  The  address, 
in  English,  was  composed  and  written,  I  believe,  by  one 
of  them,  and  was  accompanied  as  usual  with  garlands 
and  other  tokens  of  regard.  On  leaving  the  church,  we 
found  the  village  school  drawn  up  in  parallel  lines  just 
outside  the  gate  for  our  inspection — bright,  restless  lit- 
tle fellows,  many  of  them,  but  answering  well  the  ques- 
tions asked,  and  evidently  heartily  enjoying  the  novel 
occasion.  A  call  at  Pastor  Abraham's  house,  and  also  at 
another  which  he  is  building,  where  prayer  was  offered 
at  his  request,  concluded  our  visit.  It  was  an  "  object 
lesson  "  of  the  way  in  which  the  Church  of  Christ  must 
chiefly  grow  in  this  and  other  heathen  lands,  through  the 


72  FAR  HENCE 

care  and  labors  of  faithful  men  raised  up  and  called  of 
God  from  among  the  people  themselves.  From  a  street 
boy  to  a  successful  pastor,  from  a  cattle-driver  to  a  faith- 
ful preacher  of  the  Word  and  leader  of  men — these  and 
other  such  are  the  terms  that  characterize  the  extremes, 
the  beginning  and  the  present  of  these  men.  And  many 
a  most  interesting  story  lies  between,  some  of  which  I 
would  be  glad  to  relate  if  there  were  time  and  space.  To  me 
they  are  among  the  most  conspicuous  and  blessed  fruits 
of  the  Mission's  work,  and  on  them  and  those  who  shall 
be  associated  with  or  come  after  them,  largely  rests, 
under  God,  the  hope  of  the  Church  in  these  dark  lands. 

The  early  service  in  Katpadi  was  made  necessary  by  an 
early  departure,  at  7.20  a.  m.,  for  Arcot,  the  last  station 
to  be  visited,  but  by  no  means  the  least  important. 
Here  is  the  hospital,  so  long  under  the  care  of  different 
members  of  the  Mission,  and  now  in  the  charge  of  the 
Rev.  \.  R.  Scudder,  M.  D.,  and  also  the  Arcot  Academy, 
now  the  Arcot  Mission  High  School,  in  charge  of  Mr.  H. 
J.  Scudder.  It  is  also  the  centre  of  a  large  and  prosper- 
ous village  work.  It  was  a  pity  to  have  only  two  days  to 
spend  at  this  station,  but  this  was  all  the  time  allowed  by 
other  and  important  engagements.  It  was,  therefore, 
very  full. 

The  hospital  and  high  school,  as  well  as  the  Mission 
bungalow  in  which  Dr.  Scudder  lives,  are  located,  not  in 
the  town  of  Arcot,  which  lies  two  miles  beyond,  but  at 
Ranipet,  between  the  town  and  station,  and  three  miles 
from  the  latter.  Met  at  the  station  by  both  the  brethren 
named,  we  were  escorted  into  the  village  by  a  goodly 
company,  who  had  come  out  about  a  mile  to  receive  us 
with  music  and  banners.  After  resting  a  few  moments, 
and  dismissing  our  escort,  we  visited  the  hospital.  The 
commodious  buildings,  affording  accommodation  for  the 
various   wards    and    offices,    are    provided    by    govern- 


FAR  HENCE  73 

ment,  which  also  furnishes  the  appropriations  necessary 
for  its  maintenance.  Though  thus,  and  to  this  degree,  a 
government  institution,  it  is  also,  and  quite  distinctly,  a 
missionary  agency,  for  which  the  Church  furnishes 
nothing  but  the  supervising  missionary  and  responsible 
head.  Religious  instruction  is  given  daily  to  all  the 
patients,  and  the  truths  there  communicated  are  carried 
by  them  to  points  far  removed  and  widely  separated. 
But  the  care  of  such  an  institution  makes  large  demands 
upon  the  time  and  strength  of  the  missionary  in  charge. 
With  the  other  work  of  the  station  necessarily  devolving 
upon  him,  he  is  cut  off  from  doing  medical  work  in  the 
villages,  which  he  feels  has  promise  of  far  greater  and 
better  results.  Nor  can  he  do  for  the  women,  who  are 
often  in  far  greater  need  of  help  than  men,  what  a  phy- 
sician of  their  own  sex  could  do.  For  all  these  reasons 
Dr.  Scudder  urges  that  such  a  physician  be  sent  out  to 
his  assistance.  I  cannot  doubt  that  his  plea  is  justified 
by  the  circumstances,  and  that  to  grant  it  would  be 
eminently  wise. 

The  Arcot  Mission  High  School  is  beautifully  located 
on  lands  and  in  buildings  also  furnished  by  the  govern- 
ment, free  of  cost  except  for  repairs  and  maintenance. 
The  buildings  were  formerly  occupied  by  cavalry  when 
a  considerable  military  force  was  maintained  here.  That 
force  has  long  been  withdrawn — as  also  from  Vellore 
and  Arni — and  left  many  substantial  buildings  behind  it 
without  use  or  occupancy.  On  a  gentle  eminence  just 
out  of  the  village,  and  overlooking  a  landscape  of  un- 
usual breadth  and  beauty,  closed  in  by  mountains,  with 
a  broad,  open  lawn  sloping  away  from  it  toward  the 
town,  stands  the  modest  bungalow  occupied  by  the  prin- 
cipal. In  the  rear  of  it  is  a  long  row  of  buildings, 
devoted  to  the  school,  comprising  storerooms,  dormitor- 
ies   and   recitation    rooms,  and   a  smaller   building   for 


74  FAR  HENCE 

library  and  reading-room.  The  buildings  are  substan- 
tial, roomy  and  attractive,  and  the  accommodation  suf- 
ficient tor  even  a  much  larger  number  of  pupils  than  are 
now  in  attendance.  As  we  appeared  upon  the  campus 
some  of  the  larger  scholars  were  undergoing  military 
drill,  followed  by  gymnastic  exercises,  which  they  exe- 
cuted with  great  precision  and  agility  under  the  direction 
of  a  trained  master.  At  the  tap  of  the  bell  the  ground 
was  deserted,  and  all  repaired  to  the  large  hall,  where 
were  gathered  not  only  the  entire  school,  but  also  the 
helpers  and  members  of  the  church  and  congregation. 
The  spacious  room  was  filled  for  the  reception  of  the 
guests  of  the  day,  and  the  presentation  of  addresses.  A 
similar  gathering  filled  it  at  a  later  hour  in  the  evening, 
when  another  address  was  presented  by  the  day  scholars, 
expressing  their  gratitude  for  being  admitted  to  the 
privileges  of  the  school.  These  are  non-Christian  young 
men  from  the  town,  and  their  admission  is  a  new  thing 
in  this  school.  Much  good  is  hoped  for  from  it,  both  to 
the  young  men  and  to  the  school  itself.  In  order  to 
signalize  the  occasion,  there  followed  the  presentation  by 
the  boys  of  a  sacred  drama,  composed,  I  believe,  by  one 
of  the  teachers,  and  founded  on  the  history  of  Daniel 
and  Darius.  The  king  and  his  attendants  were  arrayed 
in  gorgeous  bravery,  the  prophet  in  conspicuous  meek- 
ness. The  boys  entered  into  the  scene  with  spirit,  and 
the  exhibition  lasted  till  a  late  hour  of  the  night. 

The  church,  next  morning,  was  the  scene  of  a  very  in- 
teresting service,  which  began  at  the  early  hour  of  7.15. 
It  was  the  baptism  of  a  man  with  his  entire  family,  six 
souls  in  all,  who  had  for  twenty  years  been  at  heart  a 
Christian,  and  had  at  length  come  to  the  point  of  open 
confession  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  His  wife,  who  had 
not  shared  his  faith  at  first,  had  come  to  a  knowledge  of 
the  Saviour.     Other  hindrances  had  been  removed,  and 


FAR    HENCE  75 

now,  acknowledging  the  error  of  his  long  delay,  he  desired 
to  be  numbered  among  the  people  of  God.  Two  of  his 
sons  were  scholars  in  the  High  School.  It  was  a  privi- 
lege to  administer  to  them  the  rite  of  baptism,  and  com- 
mend them  to  God  and  the  Word  of  His  grace,  and  also 
to  address  to  the  assembled  church  some  brief  words  of 
counsel  and  encouragement  as  from  the  Church  in 
America. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

OLD    ARCOT    AND    THE    GUDIYATAM    CONFERENCE. 

Madras,  March  14 
A  DRIVE  of  two  miles  to  the  old  town  of  Arcot  was  next 
in  order.  The  road  lay  across  the  broad  bed  of  a  river 
now  entirely  dry,  but  in  the  rainy  season  often  a  raging 
stream.  The  hot  sun  beat  down  upon  the  scorching 
sand,  in  which  the  wheels  so  buried  themselves  that  pro- 
gress would  have  been  well  nigh  impossible  if  four  or 
five  coolies  had  not  assisted  the  struggling  pony  by 
pulling  or  pushing  from  behind.  A  fine  stone  causeway 
is  in  process  of  construction  across  the  river  bed,  which 
will  greatly  relieve  this  difficulty,  affording  a  fine,  smooth 
road.  Arcot  was  once  a  strongly  fortified  city,  and  re- 
mains of  the  old  fortifications  are  still  standing.  Other 
remains  lie  in  confusion  where  they  were  thrown  when 
the  walls  were  blown  up  many  years  ago — immense 
masses  of  brick  masonry,  solid  and  indestructible  as 
rocks,  even  in  their  ruins.  One  gate,  called  "  Clive's 
Gate,"  remains  intact,  with  ''Clive's  Chamber"  sur- 
mounting it.  The  history  of  the  city  is  inseparably  con- 
nected with  the  fame  of  that  great  leader  who,  from  a 
civilian  clerk  became  one  of  England's  most  skillful  gen- 
erals, and  here  won  one  of  his  earliest  and  most  signal 
victories — with  a  small  force  capturing  the  city  against 
fearful  odds  and  maintaining  possession  against  odds 
still  greater.  Once  the  seat  of  powerful  Mohammedan 
princes,  it  retains  nothing  of  what  splendor  it  may  for- 
merly have  possessed.  The  palace  is  an  utter  ruin, 
hardly  a  vestige  remaining  to  mark  the  site  where  it 
once  stood,  and  the  whole  town  wears  a  look  of  decay. 


FAR  HENCE  77 

But  Mohammedanism  of  the  most  bigoted  type  is  still 
strong  in  it,  as  the  numerous  mosques  and  the  intense 
spirit  of  opposition  to  the  Gospel  abundantly  testify. 
For  this  reason  it  has  been  extremely  difficult  to  get  and 
hold  a  footing  there.  This  is  now  held  by  a  school 
which  we  visited,  our  presence  being  the  signal  for  the 
gathering  of  numbers  of  the  people.  They  looked  on 
while  the  simple  exercises  were  gone  through,  and  heard 
some  plain  declarations  of  Gospel  truth  from  the  lips  of 
the  children.  Out  of  the  mouths  of  these  "  babes  "  it 
may  be  that  the  Lord  w^ill  yet  perfect  praise  in  this 
stronghold  of  the  false  prophet. 

The  town  of  Wallajah,  two  miles  from  Ranipet  in 
another  direction,  is  altogether  the  neatest  and  most  at- 
tractive I  have  seen  in  India.  Its  people  were  once  quite 
wealthy,  but  the  location  of  the  railroad  and  its  station 
at  a  few  miles'  distance  has  destroyed  much  of  its  pros- 
perity, as  has  so  often  happened  in  other  lands.  The 
road  thither  is  shaded  by  rows  of  trees  on  either  side. 
The  streets  are  broad,  measurably  clean,  with  many 
trees,  and  lined  by  houses  well  built  and  white.  The 
whole  effect  is  one  of  neatness,  cleanliness  and  comfort 
quite  unusual  in  an  Indian  village,  so  far  as  I  have  seen. 
The  work  here  is  represented  by  two  schools,  one  for 
boys  and  one  for  girls,  which,  after  being  visited  singly, 
came  together  in  the  more  spacious  building  occupied 
by  the  boys,  for  our  reception.  A  reading-room  is  also 
maintained  on  the  principal  street.  But  the  best  influ- 
ence in  Wallajah,  and  the  most  hopeful  fact,  is  the  new 
preacher  and  helper  stationed  there ;  the  best  scholar, 
by  all  confession,  of  the  recently  graduated  class  from 
the  theological  seminary,  and  one  of  those  licensed  by 
the  Classis  at  Arni.  Of  good  caste,  and  having  connec- 
tions in  town,  and  being  himself  a  young  man  of  ability, 
earnest   spirit  and  piety,  there  is  good   reason  to  hope 


78  FAR  HENCE 

that  he  may  be  able  to  win  his  way  in  spite  of  the 
opposition  which  has  here  been  very  bitter  and  per- 
sistent. 

It  is  an  unfortunate  necessity — yet  a  necessity  it 
seems — that  the  Mission  should  be  compelled  to  employ 
as  teachers,  in  some  departments,  men  who  are  not 
Christians.  They  can  get  no  others  competent  to  do  the 
work,  while  the  religious  instruction  is  confided  to  Chris- 
tian teachers.  Some  of  these  men  are,  no  doubt,  Chris- 
tians at  heart — that  is  to  say  intellectually  convinced  of 
the  falsehood  of  idolatry  and  the  truth  of  Christianity. 
It  may  be  that  some,  if  not  all  of  them,  will  yet  be  found 
openly  on  the  side  of  Christ.  Certainly,  some  whom  I 
have  heard,  do  not  hesitate  to  speak  quite  boldly  the 
thing  they  really  think.  A  most  singular  instance  of  the 
kind  we  met  at  Wallajah,  the  second  master  in  the  girls' 
school.  He  showed  us  Special  attention,  following  us  to 
the  reading-room,  and  in  various  ways  manifesting  his 
interest  in  the  work.  Of  him  we  were  told  that  he  does 
not  hesitate  to  advise  others  to  become  Christians.  In 
one  instance  he  pleaded  for  more  than  hour  with  the 
mother  of  our  young  helper,  Thavamoni,  urging  her  by 
every  consideration  to  renounce  heathenism  and  accept 
Christianity.  Such  men,  and  there  are  doubtless  many  like 
them,  are  in  a  hopeful  yet  critical  state.  They  need,  and 
they  should  have  the  prayers  of  Christians  that  they  may 
come  to  the  full  and  personal  knowledge  and  acceptance 
of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus. 

We  could  not  leave  Arcot,  or  Ranipet,  without  paying 
a  visit  to  the  little  cemetery.  For  there  lies  buried  all  that  is 
mortal  of  our  good  brother  Hekhuis,  side  by  side  with 
the  infant  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Conklin.  It  was  a 
gloomy  place  save  for  that  little  spot,  kept  bright  and 
green,  with  flower  and  plant,  with  daily  watering  and 
faithful  care.     He  sleeps  among  the  people  he  lived  to 


FAR  HENCE 


79 


bless,  and  his  memory  lives  fresh  as  the  plants  that  grow 
beside  his  grave.  "  Dead  on  the  field  of  battle,"  he 
seemed  certainly  not  less  worthy  of  memorial  and  mon- 
ument than  the  British  officers  by  whose  tombs  he  lies 
surrounded. 

It  had  for  some  time  been  the  desire  of  the  Mission  to 
hold  a  General  Conference  of  all  the  missionaries  and  as 
many  of  the  helpers  as  could  be  gotten  together,  for 
the  increase  of  spiritual  life  and  power  and  the  dis- 
cussion of  practical  topics  relating  to  mission  work.  It 
was  hoped  that  by  thus  gathering  for  mutual  counsel 
and  united  prayer  the  helpers  might  be  encouraged  and 
stimulated,  a  new  baptism  of  the  Spirit  sought  and  ob- 
tained, and  a  healthful  impulse  given  to  the  work.  This 
Conference  it  had  been  determined  to  hold  at  Gudiya- 
tam  on  Friday,  Saturday  and  Sunday,  March  11-13. 
Gudiyatam  is  a  large  town  of  Hindus  and  Mohamme- 
dans, about  twenty  miles  from  Katpadi  and  eighty  or 
ninety  from  Madras.  The  Mission  has  long  desired  to 
occupy  it  as  a  permanent  station,  and  twenty  years  ago 
assigned  it  to  Dr.  John  Scudder  as  his  field  and  resi- 
dence. But  the  Board  was  not  then  ready  to  furnish  the 
means  necessary  to  provide  a  house,  and  it  remains  un- 
occupied to-day.  I  was  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  see 
something  of  the  town  myself,  and  of  its  importance  as  a 
station.  As  the  loth  had  come  and  nearly  gone,  it  was 
necessary  to  take  our  way  thither.  With  Dr.  Lewis  and 
Mr.  Henry  Scudder  we  took  the  evening  train,  and  were 
joined  at  Katpadi  by  others  of  the  Mission  and  a  goodly 
number  of  helpers. 

A  fine  grove  of  mango  trees,  three  miles  from  the  sta- 
tion and  lying  just  outside  the  town,  had  been  obtained. 
Thither  we  repaired  in  "  jutkas,"  which,  in  bewildering 
number  and  indescribable  uproar  and  confusion,  met  us 
at  the  gate.     The  "  jutka  "  is  a  little  two-wheeled  cart,  of 


8o  FAR    HENCE 

long,  narrow  body,  and  covered  with  a  rounding  roof  of 
palmleaf  matting.  Within  it  one  can  either  sit  or  stretch 
himself  out  at  length  upon  the  floor.  With  a  mattrass 
and  pillow,  and  the  springs  with  which  the  vehicle  is 
furnished,  quite  a  comfortable  bed  can  be  made  and 
sleep  obtained,  and  many  a  missionary  journey  is  thus 
made,  both  by  day  and  night.  The  driver  sits  upon  the 
shaft,  and  the  lively  little  pony,  stimulated  by  voice  and 
lash,  rushes  over  the  road  at  quite  a  rapid  pace.  The 
motion  is  not  altogether  agreeable  at  first,  and  one  is 
apt  to  be  knocked  about  rather  unceremoniously.  But 
a  little  experience  and  judicious  adjustment  of  person  and 
''personal  effects  "  soon  enable  him  to  ride  quite  com- 
fortably and  even  to  enjoy  it. 

The  road  for  three  miles  lay  in  bright  moonlight, 
shadowed  by  rows  of  trees  which  lined  it  on  either  side. 
The  grove,  when  reached — as  also  on  the  morrow  and  in 
the  broad  light  of  day — presented  a  scene  of  perfect 
beauty.  A  multitude  of  noble  mangoes — the  largest  I 
have  seen  —  with  immense  trunks  and  wide-spreading 
branches,  and  at  convenient  distance  for  pitching  the 
largest  tents  while  shading  them  all  completely  from  the 
sun — formed  an  ideal  place  for  such  a  gathering — truly 
one  of  "  God's  first  temples."  Broad,  square  platforms 
with  ascending  steps  on  each  side  had  been  prepared  by 
collectors  and  other  officials,  who  make  this  their  camp- 
ing-ground when  visiting  this  portion  of  their  district. 
Several  tents  belonging  to  members  of  the  Mission  were 
already  pitched  when  we  arrived,  in  which,  with  small 
reluctance  or  delay,  we  slept  that  night  in  peace.  Early 
next  morning  two  large  tents  arrived,  kindly  loaned  for 
the  purpose,  and  sent  over  from  Chittoor  by  Judge 
Sewell,  of  whom  I  have  spoken,  and  Mr.  Le  Fanu,  the 
collector  of  the  district,  who  often  and  in  many  ways 
has  manifested  his  interest  in  the  Mission  and  his  desire 


FAR    HENCE  8i 

to  aid  it.  These  were  so  pitched  as  to  form  a  pavilion,  in 
which  the  exercises  of  the  Conference  were  held,  the  one 
raised  a  little  above  the  other,  making  a  covered  plat- 
form, and  the  other,  with  outspread  wings,  forming  the 
audience  chamber.  Over  all  the  trees  spread  their  glor- 
ious roof  of  green,  their  trunks  forming  massive  pillars 
in  broad  aisles  on  every  hand'. 

The  exercises  began  at  i  p.  m.  of  Friday  the  nth.  All 
the  missionaries  were  present  but  Dr.  Jared  Scudder, 
who  was  detained  by  illness  in  his  family,  but  arrived 
later  in  the  day,  and  Dr.  Chamberlain,  who  for  his 
health,  was  on  the  way  to  Darjeeling.  Of  helpers  and 
theological  students  there  were  120.  The  presence  of 
so  large  a  number,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  their  coming 
was  purely  voluntary  and  chiefly  at  their  own  expense, 
was  a  cheering  evidence  of  their  interest  in  the  objects 
of  the  Conference.  The  sight  of  them  from  the  platform, 
seated  in  compact  mass  on  the  pavilion  floor,  their  ear- 
nest countenances  turned  toward  the  speakers,  was  inspir- 
ing. And  when  their  turn  came  to  join  in  the  discus- 
sions, it  was  refreshing  to  see  the  readiness  with  which 
they  rose  and  delivered  themselves  of  brief  and  earnest 
addresses,  or  led  in  fervent  prayers.  One  utterly  ignor- 
ant of  the  language  could  not  but  feel  how  heartily 
they  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  occasion.  It  fell  to 
my  lot  to  make  the  opening  address  on  the  assigned 
topic,  the  "Means  of  Obtaining  Power  From  On  High." 
I  count  it  a  great  privilege  to  have  been  permitted  to  do 
it,  though  hampered  and  even  oppressed  by  the  utter 
impossibility  of  speaking  directly  to  them  in  their  own 
language.  I  am  rejoiced  to  know,  by  a  note  from  Dr. 
Jared  Scudder,  that  the  power  sought  seems  in  blessed 
measure  to  have  been  obtained.  "  Never  before,"  he 
writes,  ''have  I  witnessed  such  a  scene,  either  at  home 
or  here.     The    Spirit  of   the  Lord  came  upon    us  with 


82  FAR  HENCE 

power.  Missionaries,  native  pastors  and  assistants,  one 
and  all,  weeping  tears  of  joy,  consecrated  themselves 
anew  to  the  Lord  and  to  His  service."  Compelled  to 
leave  the  place  on  the  early  morning  of  Saturday,  it  was 
not  my  privilege  to  witness  these  closing  scenes.  But 
I  thanked  God  for  them,  as  those  will  who  read  of 
them  at  home.  The  more  abundant  and  mighty  mani- 
festation of  the  Spirit  in  mission  fields,  and,  since  I  have 
been  here,  in  this  field,  seems  to  me  the  thing  of  all 
others  most  to  be  desired.  For  this  the  Church  at  home 
should  continually  pray. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


SILENT    PREACHERS. 


Madras,  March  14 
The  Church  has  two  missionaries  in  India  of  which, 
perhaps,  it  takes  little  account.     They  cannot  speak  or 
write  letters,  but  they  do  excellent  service  none  the  less. 
They  are  the  bicycle  and  the  magic  lantern.    The  former, 
over   the    admirable    roads    so    largely   found  in    India, 
makes  frequent  short  tours,  and  even  long  ones,  rapid 
and   easy,  and   is  much   used    by  the   younger  mission- 
aries.    It  attracts  the  wondering  gaze  of  the  people — 
some  of  whom  connect  it  in  thought  and  speech  with  the 
devil — and  has  even  been  used  as  a  means  of  gathering 
a  crowd  to  listen  to  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel.     Of  the 
other,  the  magic  lantern,  I  had  not  made  practical  ac- 
quaintance, though  I  had  heard  much,  till  our  last  Sun- 
day evening  in  Madanapalle.     Then,  in  a  broad  street  of 
the  town,  the  pictures   thrown    on   a  screen  supported 
against  the  trunk  of  a  great  tree,  we  witnessed  its  per- 
formance under  the  direction"  of  the  Rev.  Wm.    Cham- 
berlain.    The  large  crowd  gathered  seemed  intensely  in- 
terested  as   one   view  after  another  was  displayed.     At 
first,  secular  and   even  comic   views  were   used,   to  win 
'and  rivet  their  attention.     Thus  caught  and  interested, 
they   listened   quietly   to   the    explanation    of   Scripture 
scenes  and  the  enforcement  of  lessons  drawn  from  them 
by   the  missionary  and  a  chosen   band   of  earnest  and 
effective  speakers.      As   many   as  half-a-dozen   forceful 
little  sermons  were  thus  preached  in  a  single  evening. 

Large  use  was  made  of  this  silent  teacher  at  Gudiya- 
tum.     On  the  afternoon  of  Friday  a  few  of  the  mission- 


84  FAR  HENCE 

aries  and  a  large  band  of  native  helpers  marched  through 
the  streets  of  the  town,  selecting  places  for  exhibitions 
and  inviting  the  people  to  come  and  see  them  in  the 
evening.  There  were  three  lanterns  present  and  at 
evening  three  bands  were  formed  under  the  leadership 
of  Dr.  Lewis  and  the  Rev.  E.  C.  Scudder  and  the  Rev. 
W.  I,  Chamberlain,  and  composed  of  speakers  capable  of 
addressing  the  crowds  they  hoped  to  gather.  Each 
band  proceeded  to  the  place  assigned,  the  lanterns 
were  set  up,  and  the  pictures  exhibited  to  crow^ds  of 
people  of  all  sorts  and  sizes.  Giving  time  for  the  prelim- 
inaries, I  followed  them  to  town  in  company  with  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Phillips,  once  a  missionary  in  Northern  India,  but 
now  the  Agent  of  the  Sunday-school  Union.  Our  jutka 
driver  proved  either  stupid  or  malicious,  or  both,  and  we 
came  near  spending  the  night  in  driving  about  the  streets 
without  finding  the  object  of  our  quest.  At  length  we 
came  upon  the  Rev.  Wm.  Chamberlain,  to  w^hom,  per- 
haps, two  hundred  people  had  gathered,  and  were 
quietly  viewing  the  pictures  and  listening  to  the  earnest 
words  addressed  to  them.  Farther  on  we  found 
Dr.  Lewis  Scudder  in  the  midst  of  somewhat  larger 
numbers.  Later  in  the  evening  a  disturbance  arose  at 
this  place,  just  at  the  close  of  the  exhibition  and  preach- 
ing. Either  through  mischief  or  in  malice,  an  alarm  of  fire 
was  raised,  and  the  crowd  stampeded.  Lantern  and 
views  were  overthrown,  and  the  doctor  himself  narrowly 
escaped  being  roughly  handled.  Leaving  him  before 
any  sign  of  disturbance  had  shown  itself,  we  found  the 
Rev.  E.  C.  Scudder  and  the  largest  company  of  all  in 
quite  another  part  of  the  towm.  His  pictures  were  cast 
upon  the  white  wall  of  a  house.  Just  around  the  lantern 
large  numbers  were  seated  on  the  ground,  and  encircling 
them,  many  deep,  still  larger  numbers  were  standing. 
Many    of    the    people    were    Mohammedans,    and    Dr. 


FAR  HENCE  85 

Phillips  spoke  to  them  in  Hindustani,  asking  and  answer- 
ing questions.  Two  things  impressed  me  in  connection 
with  this  method  of  making  known  the  Gospel.  First  the 
admirable  adaptness  for  reaching  masses  of  people  in  a 
simple  and  yet  effective  manner.  Two  senses  are  ap- 
pealed to,  and  what  is  caught  by  the  eye  is  impressed  by 
the  voice  of  the  living  preacher  on  the  ear.  And,  as  a 
rule,  the  speakers  seemed  thoroughly  alive  to  the  nature 
of  the  opportunity,  and  made  their  addresses  brief,  ear- 
nest and  impressive.  Perhaps  the  brethren  engaged 
would  not  care  to  have  me  say  it,  and  perhaps,  also,  the 
feeling  was  due  to  my  own  inexperience.  But  I  was 
deeply  impressed,  also,  with  the  quiet  courage — not  to 
say  heroism — required  for  such  service,  in  the  midst  of  a 
great  city  filled  with  a  bigoted  populace,  and  in  the 
presence  of  crowds  of  Hindus  and  Mohammedans,  whose 
apparent  interest  might  easily  be  changed  into  the  frantic 
fury  of  a  mob  by  the  fanatical  appeal  of  some  hot- 
headed leader.  I  deeply  regretted  not  being  able  to 
remain  to  the  close  of  this  delightful  Conference.  But 
steamers  do  not  wait  the  convenience  of  travellers,  and 
having  already  deferred  leaving  India  for  a  fortnight 
beyond  the  time  assigned,  I  could  delay  no  longer.  Yet 
what  I  had  seen,  and  the  mingling  with  those  brethren 
there,  formed  a  most  fitting  and  delightful  close  to  the 
Arcot  Mission,  fraught  as  it  was  throughout  with 
pleasure  unalloyed.  Bidding  all  farewell  soon  after 
midnight,  in  the  solemn  stillness  of  the  grove,  I  took  my 
way  early  on  Saturday  morning  to  Madras.  We  leave 
here  to-morrow  morning  for  Madura  and  Ceylon, 

I  have  said  nothing  of  Madras  for  the  simple  reason 
that  I  have  little  or  nothing  to  say.  As  a  city  there  is 
little  about  it  that  is  attractive.  It  lies  sprawling  along 
the  eastern  shore  of  the  Indian  peninsula  for  a  distance 
of  several  miles,  without  a  harbor  until  very  recently, 


86  FAR    HENCE 

and  one  wonders  how  a  large  city  and  port  of  entry,  the 
capital  of  the  large  Presidency  of  that  name,  ever  came 
to  be  planted  there.  Of  recent  years  the  government 
has'  caused  two  long  breakwaters  or  jetties  to  be  con- 
structed, running  out  into  the  sea  perpendicular  to  the 
shore,  but  curving  inward  near  their  outer  extremities, 
thus  forming  a  moderate  sized  port.  Vessels  can  now 
come  within  it  and  discharge  their  cargo  and  passengers 
at  a  pier,  though  many  still  lie  off  in  the  roadstead  and 
send  them  in  through  the  surf  as  aforetime.  Along  the 
beach  is  a  fine  drive,  where  the  life  of  the  city  gathers  in 
the  cool  of  the  evening.  A  fine  military  band  discourses 
excellent  music.  The  roadway  is  thronged  with  vehicles 
of  every  description,  from  the  most  elegant  landau  or 
victoria  to  the  humblest  gharry.  Their  occupants  sit 
and  listen  to  the  music  or  look  off  upon  the  sea,  inhaling 
the  refreshing  breeze  after  the  stifling  day,  or  dismount 
and  circle  about,  chatting  with  acquaintances  or  friends. 
It  is  like  an  immensely  long  ballroom,  al  fresco,  save  for 
the  vehicles  which  lumber  up  the  way. 

I  spoke  of  the  town  as  "sprawling."  Such  it  literally 
is — its  various  quarters  being  separated  by  almost  in- 
terminable distances,  with  gardens  or  long  stretches  of 
open  ground  between.  It  has  some  fine  buildings  and 
some  noble  institutions.  The  Christian  College  of  the 
Scotch  Free  Church  is  here,  a  flourishing  institution  with 
hundreds  of  students,  beside  the  Presidency  College, 
whose  buildings  suggest  an  architect's  nightmare,  and  a 
native  University  founded  by  the  liberality  of  a  wealthy 
native  resident.  A  vast  amount  of  missionary  work,  also, 
has  its  centre  here,  and  a  fair  proportion  of  the  popula- 
tion is  said  to  be  under  its  influence.  There  are  many 
fine  residences  with  grounds  or  compounds  about  them, 
which  give  to  many  of  the  streets  a  straggling  and  sub- 
urban  appearance,  while  some   of  the  native   quarters, 


FAR    HENCE  87 

notably  that  to  the  North,  surpass  in  wretchedness  and 
squalor  anything  I  have  seen  elsewhere.  Here,  too,  ap- 
pears, in  horrible  frequency,  that  terrible  deformity  of 
disease — elephantiasis.  It  was  no  uncommon  sight  to 
see  men  shuffling  along  the  street  with  one  leg  so  swollen 
that  the  toes  of  the  foot  were  nearly  lost  in  the  limb — 
resembling  nothing  so  much  as  the  leg  of  the  animal 
from  which  the  disease  takes  its  name.  The  only  reliev- 
ing consideration  is  that  it  is  comparatively  painless  to 
the  sufferer,  however  painful  to  the  beholder.  In  short? 
the  whole  effect  of  Madras  upon  the  transient  visitor  is 
not  pleasing,  nor,  I  believe,  are  its  attractions  much 
greater  for  the  permanent  resident.  As  a  city  it  is  by 
no  means  to  be  compared  with  Bombay. 

The  one  bright  spot  which  relieved  the  impression  of 
our  stay  in  Madras,  was  the  meeting  with  Mary  Rajana- 
yakam  and  the  Rev.  and  Mrs.  E.  C.  Scudder,  Jr.  The 
latter  friends  facilitated  much  some  of  the  objects  of  our 
stay,  and  kindly  saw  us  off  for  Madura  and  parts  beyond, 
Mr.  Scudder  brought  cheering  tidings  of  the  successful 
issue  of  the  Conference  at  Gudiyatam,  of  which  I  wrote 
in  my  last  letter.  The  former  is  the  young  medical 
student  whom  the  ladies  of  the  Particular  Synod  of 
Albany  are  supporting  during  her  period  of  study.  They 
have  reason  to  rejoice  in  their  ward,  and  in  the  choice 
made  for  them  by  Dr.  Chamberlain.  Of  sweet  face  and 
winning  manner,  the  story  of  her  inward  conflicts  and 
the  triumph  of  simple  faith  to  which  she  had  attained 
proved  the  genuine  and  gracious  work  of  the  Spirit 
within.  She  seemed  altogether  one  of  the  sweetest 
women  and  loveliest  Christians  one  could  wish  to  see. 
If  the  life-work,  from  which  she  first  shrank,  but  to 
which  she  now  looks  forward  with  consecrated  hope,  is 
carried  on  in  the  same  spirit  in  which  she  pursues  her 
studies,  she  cannot  fail  to  be  greatly  useful. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

MADURA    TEMPLES    AND    MISSION. 

Colombo,  Ceylon,  March  21 
For  thorough  discomfort  and  studied  neglect  of  the 
convenience  of  travellers,  commend  me  to  the  South 
India  Railway.  Having  a  monopoly  of  the  traffic,  it 
treats  passengers  as  it  pleases,  and  its  pleasure  certainly 
does  not  conduce  to  theirs.  Travelling  in  India  at  the 
best,  especially  in  the  hot  season,  is  full  of  discomfort. 
The  many  conveniences  known  to  American  railroads 
are  utterly  unknown  here.  The  heat  in  the  daytime  is 
intense,  and  no  provision  but  the  hardest  kind  of  seats 
is  made  for  the  night — no  beds,  no  pillows  ;  water,  but 
no  soap  or  towels.  One  must  take  all  these  with  him  or 
go  without.  A  journey  of  22  consecutive  hours  under 
these  circumstances  does  not  tend  to  make  one  feel 
happy,  or  specially  benevolent  toward  those  who  have 
reduced  him  to  such  misery.  Still,  we  were  brought 
with  safety,  and  that  is  much,  from  Madras  to  Madura, 
leaving  the  former  at  7.05  a.  m.  of  Tuesday,  and  arriving 
at  Madura  at  5.20  a.  m.  of  Wednesday. 

Madura  is  doubly  interesting  as  one  of  the  chief  cen- 
tres of  heathenism  in  South  India,  if  not  the  very  chief 
— and  also  of  a  long  established  and  successful  Mission 
of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  In  the  early  morning  of  Wednes- 
day, the  i6th,  we  were  cordially  welcomed  on  alighting 
from  the  cars,  by  the  Rev.  J.  S.  Chandler,  of  that  Mis- 
sion, and  escorted  to  his  hospitable  home.  Under  his 
kindly  conduct  we  were  able  to  see  much  of  the  city  in 
both  these  aspects.  The  relations  of  this  Mission  and 
our  own  have  always  been  of  the  happiest  character,  and 


HEATHEN  TEMPLE,  MADURA  INDIA. 


FAR    HENCE  89 

are  now  still  closer  than  before.  To  them,  we,  years  ago, 
gave  Miss  Mandeville,  who  became  Mrs.  Noyes,  and  is 
still  on  the  field  with  her  husband  ;  a  favor  they  now  re- 
ciprocate by  giving  us  Miss  Gertrude  Chandler,  to  become 
Mrs.  Wyckoff.  Their  summers  too  are  spent  in  company, 
in  the  delightful  and  healthful  retreat  of  Kodai  Kanal, 
on  the  Pulney  Hills,  to  which  the  Madura  Mission  have 
long  resorted,  and  where  now,  through  their  kindness, 
the  Arcot  Mission  has  a  comfortable  house  erected  under 
the  supervision  of  Dr.  Chamberlain,  and  called  "  Arcotia." 
It  was  one  of  my  chief  regrets  in  leaving  India,  not  to  be 
able  to  visit  it.  There  can  be  no  question  that  the  pos- 
session and  use  of  such  Sanitariums  tend  to  preserve  the 
life  and  health  of  our  missionaries,  and  prolong  the  terms 
for  which  they  are  able  to  remain  upon  the  field.  One 
needs  experience  in  order  to  realize  the  tremendous 
drain  upon  the  strength — and  on  the  spirits  also — made 
by  the  extreme,  unrelenting  and  long  continued  heat  to 
w^hich  they  are  subjected.  Even  in  the  cooler  months,  of 
which  March  may,  perhaps,  be  considered  one,  it  is  hard 
to  bear.  Our  constant  thought  and  frequent  exclama- 
tion was  :  "  What  must  it  be  in  summer  !  " 

On  such  a  hot  day  we  made  the  tour  of  Madura.  The 
great  temple  is  an  imposing  monument  of  the  supersti- 
tious idolatry  that  has  so  long  ruled  in  this  idolatrous 
land.  It  is  built  round  a  large,  square  tank,  with  four 
large  gopurams  or  towers,  and  a  number  of  smaller  ones 
and  numerous  colonnades  and  passages.  The  gopurams 
are  of  peculiar  construction,  on  an  oblong  base — the 
longer  side  facing  the  tank — and  rising  story  upon  story 
to  a  great  height,  and  gradually  diminishing  in  size  as 
they  ascend.  Each  story  is  pierced  with  openings  and 
faced  with  images  of  gods  and  goddesses  and  other  fig- 
ures, either  of  wrought  stone  or  plaster,  till  the  entire 
surface  seems  encrusted  with  sculpture.     The  walls  of 


90  FAR  HENCE 

the  colonnades  or  porticos  surrounding  the  tank,  are  cov- 
ered with  pictures  in  gaudy  colors,  apparently  illustra- 
tive of  Hindu  mythology.  As  we  passed  through  one  of 
them  a  young  Brahmin  was  intoning  to  a  small  company 
an  explanation  of  some  of  these  pictures,  to  which  he 
continually  pointed.  The  approaches  to  the  sacred 
courts  with  roofs  supported  on  pillars  of  stone,  many  of 
them  highly  carved,  were  filled  with  a  noisy,  filthy  crowd 
of  vendors  and  beggars,  suggesting  the  propriety  of  such 
a  purging  as  our  Lord  administered  to  the  temple  in 
Jerusalem.  The  most  notable  feature  of  the  temple  is 
the  Hall  of  a  Thousand  Columns  (985  exactly,  I  believe), 
which  is  really  stupendous  in  size  and  wonderful  in  con- 
struction. Each  column  is  a  monolith,  of  varying  shape, 
but  all  carved  in  strange  and  grotesque  figures,  armed 
warriors,  rampant  horses  and  lions,  gods  and  goddesses 
hideous  and  innumerable.  Though  much  greater  in 
number  and  size,  the  carving  and  figures  did  not  seem 
to  me  to  equal  those  in  the  temple  at  Vellore.  The  in- 
most recesses,  or  sanctuaries  of  the  god  and  goddess  to 
whom,  in  equal  proportions,  this  temple  is  consecrated, 
were  not  open  to  our  view.  They  are  dark  chambers  of 
solid  masonry,  into  which  no  ray  of  light  is  permitted  to 
enter,  and  no  foot  of  any  but  the  priests  to  intrude. 
But  low  in  the  wall  a  little  orifice  permits  the  oil,  milk 
and  melted  butter  poured  upon  the  idol  within  to  issue 
in  a  sluggish,  dirty,  repulsive  stream.  The  dipping  of 
the  finger  into  this  nauseous  fluid  and  tasting  it, 
purges  from  all  sin  !  Still  more  repulsive,  if  possible, 
was  the  image  of  the  sacred  bull,  of  stone,  and  seated 
in  a  tank  of  stone — like  a  large  bath-tub — the  image 
black  and  greasy  with  the  oil  poured  over  it  and  its 
head  crowned  with  flowers.  The  bottom  of  the  tank  was 
foul  with  the  black  and  reeking  oil  that  trickled  down 
the  sides  of  the  image.     It  was  enough  to  make  one  sick 


FAR  HENCE  91 

— most  of  all  sick  at  heart  for  the  millions  to  whom  this 
repulsive  object  was  a  sacred  thing  and  this  oil  endowed 
with  saving  power.  Its  filthiness  was  a  fit  symbol  of  the 
moral  pollution  which  characterizes  Hinduism  as  it  ex- 
ists to-day,  and  which  must  forever  prevent  the  puri- 
fication and  uplifting  of  those  who  still  retain  their 
faith  in  it. 

Strongly  contrasting  with  this  temple,  in  outward  ap- 
pearance, is  the  Teppa  Kulam,  or  tank  temple,  just  out- 
side the  city.  In  the  midst  of  a  square  tank,  one  mile  in 
circuit  and  surrounded  by  a  finely  constructed  wall  of 
cut  stone,  stands  a  white  temple  literally  embowered  in 
trees  of  luxuriant  growth,  on  a  square  island  rising  from 
the  centre  of  the  tank.  Seen  from  the  outside  it  is  in- 
deed a  thing  of  beauty,  though  it  was  impossible  to  for- 
get that  it  covered,  within,  objects  and  sights  similar  to 
those  which  had  awakened  our  mingled  compassion  and 
disgust.  One  is  oppressed  by  the  thought  of  the  millions 
on  whom  this  system  has  its  hold,  and  the  strength  of 
the  hold  it  has  upon  them.  In  moving  through  the 
streets  we  passed  two  sacred  cars,  dingy  with  age  and 
exposure,  which  workmen  were  busily  putting  into  a 
state  of  repair.  In  a  few  weeks  a  sacred  festival  begins, 
when  these  streets  will  be  thronged  with  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  worshippers  from  all  parts  of  India,  and 
these  cars  will  be  drawn  slowly  through  them  in  honor 
of  the  gods  whose  images  they  bear. 

A  minor  festival  in  actual  progress  at  the  time  of  our 
visit,  in  a  village  a  few  miles  out  of  Madura,  and  at 
a  sacred  shrine  peculiarly  regarded  in  this  region,  gave 
us  an  inkling  of  what  such  a  gathering  might  be.  All 
day  long  the  people  streamed  along  the  road,  on  foot,  in 
vehicles  of  every  sort,  singing,  shouting,  filling  the  air 
with  uproar  and  with  the  dust  raised  by  passing  feet. 
It  seemed  as  though  the  town  and  all  the  neighboring 


92  FAR  HENCE 

villages  must  be  depopulated  and  the  whole  immense 
mass  poured  upon  the  village  where  the  temple  stands. 
The  tide  continued  far  into  the  night,  and  made  it  diffi- 
cult to  make  our  way  into  the  town  against  the  current. 
The  next  morning,  we  passed,  on  the  railway,  through 
the  village  where  the  festival  was  to  be  held  that  day. 
Long  before  we  reached  it  we  came  upon  the  camps  of 
those  who  had  spent  the  night  sleeping  on  the  ground. 
Their  number  increased  as  we  advanced,  till  the  face  of 
the  ground  seemed  covered  with  them.  There  they  would 
spend  the  day  in  celebrating  the  marriage  of  a  son  of 
the  goddess  who  presides  over  half  of  the  great  temple 
at  Madura,  and  then  return  wearied  to  their  homes,  but 
with  no  thought  of  the  folly  of  the  scenes  and  cere- 
monies in  which  they  had  been  engaged. 

It  is  a  relief  to  turn  away  from  these  impressive  and 
oppressive  manifestations  of  the  power  and  degradation 
of  heathenism  to  the  work  of  the  Mission,  which  shines 
as  a  light  in  this  dark  place.  Madura  is  the  centre  of  a 
large  and  successful  work  extended  over  a  wide  field. 
It  is,  I  believe,  one  of  the  oldest  stations  of  the  American 
Board.  The  methods  employed  differ  essentially  so 
little  from  those  in  use  in  our  own  Arcot  Mission,  that 
there  is  no  need  to  enter  into  particulars  in  regard  to 
them,  though  we  visited  with  interest  and  pleasure  the 
schools  and  churches  in  the  city.  One  delightful  after- 
noon was  spent  in  a  visit  to  the  large  school  at  Pasu- 
malai  (pronounced  Pussumully),  where  more  than  two 
hundred  boys  and  young  men  are  under  instruction  \x\. 
all  grades,  up  to  and  including  the  Theological  School. 
A  few  miles  out  of  the  city  and  on  the  slope  of  a  hill,  its 
fine  white  building  presents  quite  an  imposing  appear- 
ance. Here  are  being  trained  for  service  the  men  who 
are  to  do  "for  Christ  and  India,"  in  this  part  of  the 
great  field,  what  the  men  trained  in  our  own  High  School 


FAR  HENCE  93 

and  Theological  Seminary  are  to  do  in  the  Arcot  field. 
No  branch  of  missionary  labor  is  more  important,  more 
vitally  essential  than  this.  We  were  shown  through  the 
buildings  by  Dr.  Washburn,  who  also  told  us  many  in- 
teresting stories  of  some  of  the  young  men,  and  the  cir- 
cumstances under  which  they  had  been  brought  into  the 
school.  Nothing  could  have  been  more  kind  than  the 
reception  we  met  with  from  all  the  brethren  here,  and  we 
shall  always  remember  them  with  gratitude,  and  our 
brief  two  days'  stay  with  unalloyed  satisfaction. 

From  Madura  to  Tuticorin  we  came  by  rail,  about  100 
miles,  to  take  the  steamer  for  Ceylon.  We  started  in 
the  early  morning  at  5.30,  and  the  air  was  cool  and  pleas- 
ant. But  the  sun  had  no  sooner  risen  with  its  fervent 
heat  than  discomfort  began.  We  were  thoroughly  con- 
vinced that  it  was  "time  to  get  out  of  India."  The 
country  through  which  we  passed  lay,  a  great  flat  plain, 
beneath  the  scorching  sun,  low  hills  showing  their  dim 
outline  in  the  distance.  A  dreamy  haze  hung  over  it  and 
them.  It  would  have  reminded  us  of  our  own  "  Indian 
summer"  but  for  the  heat.  This  Indian  summer  was  of 
a  different  sort.  The  vegetation  changed  its  character. 
We  saw  comparatively  little  rice,  the  great  staple  further 
north,  but  ran  through  miles  and  miles  of  cotton.  The 
plants  from  the  car  windows,  looked  small  and  shrivelled 
by  the  heat,  though  probably  of  normal  size,  notwith- 
standing. When,  at  length,  the  slow  moving  train  drew 
up  to  the  station,  we  seemed  to  have  been  discharged  into 
a  furnace  heated  seven  times.  The  hot  sun  beat  down  on 
walls  and  streets  of  white,  and  the  reflected  glare  seemed 
intolerable. 

Tuticorin  is  a  port-of-call  for  steamers  running  up  and 
down  the  coast  and  crossing  to  Ceylon,  the  distance  to 
Colombo  being  only  150  miles.  Like  Madras,  it  is  a  port 
without  a  harbor,  and  vessels  lie  in  the  roadstead  at  a 


94 


FAR   HENCE 


distance  of  from  five  to  seven  miles.  A  large  traffic  In 
coolies  is  maintained  with  Ceylon,  where  labor  is  much 
needed  on  the  tea  plantations,  and  hundreds  are  con- 
stantly transported,  by  almost  every  steamer,  either  on 
their  way  over  seeking  work  or  returning  with  their 
hardly  earned  gains.  The  wages  they  receive  are  much 
better  than  in  India,  and  their  labor  is  more  satisfactory 
to  the  planters  than  that  of  the  natives  of  the  island.  A 
small  steamer  plies  back  and  forth  two  or  three  times  a 
week,  usually  carrying  a  full  complement.  The  steamer 
we  proposed  to  take  was  larger,  of  the  British  India  line, 
and  to  leave  on  Friday,  the  day  of  our  arrival,  which  we 
had  timed  to  meet  her.  Unfortunately  there  were  no 
signs  of  her  coming,  nor  did  she  appear  till  the  follow^ing 
day.  We  were  thus  unwillingly  compelled  to  spend 
here  thirty  weary  hours,  in  a  place  utterly  devoid  of  in- 
terest and  with  no  hotel  worthy  of  the  name.  One  there 
was — the  only  one — boasting  the  high-sounding  title  of 
"  Royal,'"  but  it  was  a  very  decayed,  decrepit  and  crumb- 
ling sort  of  royalty  indeed.  Discomfort  was  written  on 
the  outside  and  had  taken  up  its  abode  within.  Nothing 
redeemed  it  but  the  glorious  breeze  from  off -the  sea 
which  it  directly  faced,  and  the  verandah  from  which  we 
enjoyed  it.  Nothing  could  mar  the  beauty  of  the  sea  as 
it  lay  lapping  the  shore  at  our  very  feet,  the  sound  of  its 
gently  breaking  waves  in  our  ears  and  the  cool  breeze 
fanning  our  faces.  They  made  the  heat  and  the  long 
waiting  tolerable. 

In  the  early  morning  of  Saturday  our  steamer,  the 
"  Scindia,"  appeared  in  the  offing,  and  word  was  sent  us 
to  be  ready  at  two  o'clock  to  take  the  launch  which 
should  carry  us  and  our  belongings  seven  miles  out  to 
join  her.  At  four  we  were  all  on  board,  and  at  half-past 
five  were  slowly  steaming  on  our  way  and  bidding  a  last 
farewell  to  India.     It  is  impossible  to  take  leave  of  it  in 


FAR    HENCE  95 

these  letters  without  making  heartfelt  mention  of  the 
warm  kindness  and  affection  shown  us  by  our  mission- 
aries, the  enthusiastic  welcomes  we  everywhere  received 
from  the  native  brethren  and  churches,  and  the  deep  and 
lasting  impressions  made  on  our  minds  in  regard  to  the 
great  work  in  India  in  which  we  are  engaged.  What 
these  impressions  were  I  shall  hope  to  have  opportunity 
to  tell  more  fully  in  other  times  and  places. 

Our  short  trip  across  the  channel  was  saddened  by  the 
death  and  burial  of  a  fellow  passenger,  a  fine  English 
gentleman  whom  we  had  met  at  Madura.  With  his 
daughter  he  had  been  making  an  extended  tour  of  mis- 
sions in  India,  intending,  on  his  return,  to  spend  much 
time  in  speaking  of  them  among  the  Baptist  churches,  of 
which  denomination  he  was  a  member.  We  found  him 
ill  at  Tuticorin,  "  touched  by  the  sun,"  as  we  were  told. 
To  move  him  seemed  a  crazy  thing.  But  he  was  carried 
out  in  the  launch,  and  hoisted  on  board  over  the  ship's 
side,  in  a  chair  rigged  for  the  occasion,  all  in  the  broiling 
afternoon  sun.  He  soon  began  to  fail,  and  though  every 
effort  was  made  to  save  him,  died  before  midnight.  At 
half-past  ten  the  next  morning  the  engine  was  stopped, 
the  officers  and  crew  and  the  little  company  of  passen- 
gers gathered  round  the  coffin  hastily  prepared,  and  the 
English  burial  service  was  read  by  your  correspondent. 
Then,  in  solemn  silence,  all  heads  uncovered,  the  coffin 
was  lifted  and  slid  into  the  sea,  there  to  remain  till  the 
sea  shall  give  up  its  dead.  His  heart-broken  daughter 
received  the  full  sympathy  of  all  and  the  loving 
ministrations  of  members  of  our  party.  The  shadow 
of  the  sad  event,  not  easy  to  shake  off,  rested  on  all  our 
hearts. 

We  were  not  sorry  when  the  shore,  even  then  in  sight 
while  the  burial  service  was  going  on,  loomed  large  and 
clear  before  us,  and  our  ship,  rounding  into  the  harbor. 


96  FAR  HENCE 

swung  at  her  moorings.  Having  taken  the  precaution 
to  telegraph  for  rooms  from  Tuticorin,  we  had  no  sooner 
come  to  a  stand  than  the  tall  porter  of  the  hotel  met  us 
with  a  note,  and  our  immediate  cares  were  ended.  De- 
livering ourselves  into  his  hands  we  were  also  delivered 
from  the  swarm  of  excited,  shouting  boatmen  who  sur- 
rounded our  vessel,  much  as  vultures  surround  a  newly 
discovered  corpse,  and  with  much  the  same  interest.  It 
is  not  pleasant  landing  in  a  strange  port  on  the  Sabbath, 
as  we  have  several  times  been  compelled  to  do.  But  it 
was  made  as  easy  and  quiet  for  us  as  possible,  and  soon 
we  were  safely  and  comfortably  quartered  in  the  Grand 
Oriental  Hotel.  This  is  a  large  caravansary,  close  to 
the  quay  and  looking  off  upon  the  harbor,  and  constantly 
filled  and  emptied,  as  troops  of  travellers  are  almost 
daily  landed  and  embarked.  Different  lines  of  steamers, 
plying  to  and  from  all  parts  of  Europe  and  the  East, 
meet  here  and  hence  diverge,  and  passengers  exchange 
according  to  the  port  they  seek  and  the  route  they  wish 
to  pursue.  A  noble  breakwater,  erected  with  great 
labor  and  expense,  makes  a  fine  harbor,  in  which  a  large 
fleet  of  steamers  and  sailing  vessels  of  all  sorts  and  sizes 
is  constantly  to  be  seen.  Here,  after  tarrying  a  few  days, 
we  propose  to  resume  our  journey  on  the  29th  for  Hong 
Kong  and  Amoy. 


^d 


i'-  'Sit  ^  :■%      ■■" 


;.J; 


COUNTRY  ROAD,  KANDY,  CEYLON. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

PLEASING    PROSPECTS    IN    CEYLON. 

Colombo,  March  23 
We  have  now  been  for  eight  days  on  this  charming 
island.  Its  intense  tropical  beauty  no  words  of  mine  can 
adequately  describe.  Even  in  approaching  it  one  is 
deeply  impressed.  Dense  masses  of  foliage  crown  the 
heights  and  cover  the  slopes,  descending  till  they 
reach  the  narrow  strip  of  gleaming  sand  which  belts  it. 
Beyond  and  towering  above  the  shore  line  rises  the 
mountain  range  which  forms  the  backbone  of  the  south- 
ern portion,  to  a  height  of  8,000  feet  or  more.  Conspic- 
uous, though  not  the  highest,  is  Adam's  Peak,  where  a 
depression  in  the  rock  is  shown,  on  its  very  top,  which 
devout  Hindus  declare  to  be  the  imprint  of  Shiva's  foot 
when  he  stepped  across  from  India !  The  Buddhists 
declare  that  Buddha's  foot  rested  there  and  left  its  mark, 
while  Mohammedans  claim  it  as  the  footprint  of  Adam. 
Hence,  probably,  the  name  the  mountain  bears. 

"You  will  like  Ceylon,"  said  one  of  the  P.  and  O.  cap- 
tains with  whom  we  sailed.  "All  Americans  are  de- 
lighted with  it."  As  good  Americans  so  were  we. 
Barring  the  heat  and  the  humidity,  life  here  might  be 
made  ideal  and  idyllic.  But  these  conditions  are  insep- 
arable from  its  insular  position,  under  an  almost  vertical 
sun.  The  influence  of  the  surrounding  ocean  and  its 
breezes  give  to  the  climate  a  considerable  degree  of  uni- 
formity. Hence  all  manner  of  tropical  vegetation 
flourishes  with  great  luxuriance.  Towns  and  cities  are 
embowered  in  groves  of  palms,  breadfruit  and  other 
trees,  and  almost  hidden  from  sight.     No  one,  on  landing 


98  FAR  HENCE 

at  Colombo,  would  suspect  the  presence  of  a  great  city 
of  130,000  inhabitants.  Portions  of  it,  indeed,  are  visi- 
ble enough.  One,  filled  with  the  native  shops  and  lowly- 
homes  of  artisans  and  laborers,  lies  low  along  the  eastern 
and  southern  shore  of  the  harbor,  set  in  a  background 
of  green.  The  other,  containing  the  hotels  and  public 
buildings,  lies  to  the  south  and  west,  embracing  a  slight 
elevation,  on  whose  western  face  still  stand  remnants  of 
the  old  city  wall  or  fort,  fronting  the  harbor  and  the  sea. 

Some  of  the  buildings  are  fine,  and  the  broad  streets 
are  lively  with  jinrikshas  and  gharries,  and  thronged  with 
people  in  picturesquely  varied  and  colored  costumes. 
As  the  British  government  maintains  a  garrison  here, 
the  officers'  quarters  and  extensive  barracks  cover  a 
wide  space  in  this  part  of  the  city,  and  "  Tommy 
Atkins,"  in  suit  of  white,  with  swinging  arms  and  swag- 
gering gait  and  Scotch  cap  perched  on  one  side  of  his 
head,  is  a  frequent  and  prominent  figure  on  the  streets 
and  promenades. 

A  unique  feature  of  the  town  is  the  great  light-house, 
standing  at  the  very  centre  of  this  section,  at  the  crossing 
of  two  prominent  streets  and  at  the  highest  point.  A 
large  square  clock  tower  bears  aloft  the  flashing  light, 
which  can  be  seen  eighteen  miles  out  to  sea.  As  the 
great  lantern  revolves  by  night,  its  flashes  fall  on  house 
and  street  and  athwart  the  path  of  wayfarers  with  a 
peculiarly  weird  effect.  An  admirable  drive  and  prome- 
nade extend  for  a  mile  or  more  along  the  western  shore, 
raised  but  a  few  feet  above  the  beach  and  facing  the  sea, 
called  "  Galle  Face"  (pronounced  gaul).  In  the  late 
afternoon  the  driveway  is  thronged  with  carriages  and 
the  footway  with  pedestrians,  seeking  refreshment  from 
the  heat  of  the  day  in  the  cool  breeze  from  off  the  water 
and  the  flashing  waves  as  they  roll  in  on  the  beach  close 
at  hand. 


FAR  HENCE  99 

The  city  is  made  up  of  various  quarters,  passing  under 
different  names,  and  stretching  out  for  long  distances. 
It  is  only  when  one  driv^es.  or  rides  in  a  '^  riksha,"  through 
the  long  avenues  shaded  with  palm  groves  and  other 
trees,  lined  in  continuous  rows  on  either  side,  now  with 
villas  and  gardens,  and  now  with  the  small  shops  of 
every  sort  that  give  to  some  of  them  the  appearance  of  a 
prolonged  bazar,  that  he  can  form  any  conception  of  the 
extent  of  the  city  or  the  population  that  dwells  within  its 
limits.  Great  groves  of  cocoanut  palms,  with  their 
clusters  of  nuts,  rise  high  above  the  shops  and  cabins, 
and  even  the  more  pretentious  houses.  The  broad-leaved 
breadfruit  stretches  out  its  branches  of  dark  green  ;  the 
jackfruit,  with  its  curious  yellow  gourd  like  fruit  growing 
directly  from  the  trunk  ;  the  tall  slender,  arrowy  areca 
palm,  with  its  streaming  clusters  of  the  nuts  which 
Hindus  love  to  chew,  when  wrapped  with  a  pinch  of 
lime  in  the  pungent  betel  leaf  ;  clumps  of  graceful, 
feathery  bamboos  ;  all  these,  and  more,  line  and  shadow 
the  roads,  and  among  and  over  them  creep  luxuriant  and 
gigantic  vines,  some  of  them  gorgeous  in  bloom.  When 
darkness  comes  the  little  shops  are  lighted  up,  and  in 
the  dense  shade  of  the  trees  numerous  fireflies  flit  and 
dart,  unseemly  sights  are  hidden,  and  the  scene  which 
was  interesting  enough  by  day  becomes  fascinating  by 
night.  To  drive  through  these  streets  in  the  early 
evening,  and  then  come  out  on  Galle  Face,  with  the 
sea  breeze  in  one's  face,  the  gleam  of  starlight  or  moon- 
light on  the  water  and  the  rush  of  the  waves  in  his  ears, 
is  an  experience  to  be  remembered. 

Perhaps  you  expect  me  to  quote  Bishop  Heber  here. 
But  I  am  not  going  to  do  it.  Partly  because  you 
know  the  ''  Missionary  Hymn  "  already,  and  have  proba- 
bly repeated  it  to  yourself,  and  partly  because  I  have  not 
found  ''  man  "  here — the  man  of  the  island — "  vile  "  above 


loo  FAR  HENCE 

many  others  I  have  seen.  In  fact,  the  vilest  men  I  have 
come  across  since  landing  here  were  not  natives  at  all, 
but  drunken  sailors  from  foreign  ships,  in  foreign  dress, 
perambulating  the  streets  from  dusk  to  midnight,  and 
sometimes  later,  and  making  night  hideous  with  their 
drunken  outcries.  Over  and  over  again  have  I  got  out 
of  bed,  in  the  dead  of  night,  to  see  what  the  occasion  of 
some  passing  tumult  might  be,  and  in  every  case  the 
cause  was  the  same.  This  is  the  curse,  or  one  great 
curse,  of  ports  in  heathen  lands,  not  to  speak  of  ports  in 
lands  called  Christian. 

The  people  of  the  island  are  largely,  and,  I  believe, 
pretty  nearly  equally  divided  between  Tamils  and  Sin- 
halese (formerly  spelled  Cingalese).  The  Tamils  are 
Hindus,  and  preserve  here  most  of  the  traits  peculiar  to 
the  same  people  in  India.  They  have  their  Hindu 
temples  and  worship  here  as  there,  though  the  bonds  of 
caste  are  said  to  be  somewhat  relaxed,  and  the  influence 
and  prestige  of  the  Brahmins  is  much  less.  They  are 
the  principal  laborers  on  the  tea  plantations,  and  their 
numbers  are  largely  reinforced  from  South  India,  as 
mentioned  in  my  last  letter.  Much  faithful  missionary 
work  is  done  among  these  "  plantation  coolies,"  under 
the  most  adverse  and  discouraging  conditions.  They 
are  widely  scattered,  constantly  changing,  and,  as  a 
rule,  which  has  its  refreshing  and  creditable  excep- 
tions. Christian  work  among  them  is  not  encouraged 
by  the  planters.  Some,  indeed,  actually  discour- 
age it,  declaring  that  they  do  not  wish  their  coolies 
instructed  or  to  become  Christians.  Notwithstand- 
ing these  obstacles,  the  work  is  faithfully  and  labori- 
ously prosecuted  by  agents  of  the  Church  Mission- 
ary Society  and  others,  and  with  a  degree  of  success 
which,  under  the  circumstances,  is  surprising. 

The  bulk  of  the  Tamil  population  is  found  in  the  north, 


FAR  HENCE  loi 

which  they  inhabit  almost  exchisively,  though  they  are 
found  in  large  numbers  in  this  city  and  others  as 
laborers.  The  American  Board  has  had  a  thriving 
mission  in  the  north,  with  its  centre  in  Jaffna,  since  1815. 
It  was  my  strong  desire  to  be  able  to  visit  it,  but  com- 
munication is  so  difficult,  and  requires  so  much  time, 
whether  overland  or  by  sea,  that  the  hope  is  reluctantly 
abandoned. 

In  outward  appearance  the  Sinhalese  are  readily  dis- 
tinguished from  the  Tamils,  with  whom  they  bear  not 
unfavorable  comparison  in  some  respects,  though  not  as 
regards  industry.  They  seem  to  have  their  full  share  of 
the  ''inertia"  so  characteristic  of  dwellers  in  tropical 
climes.  Nature  is  prodigal,  and  comparatively  little  sup- 
ports life.  Therefore  they  content  themselves  with 
little.  A  Sinhalese  farmer,  so  I  am  told,  who  was  asked 
why  he  did  not  raise  a  second  crop  on  his  land,  as  he 
might  easily  do,  replied  that  one  crop  gave  him  and  his 
family  enough  to  eat  for  a  year ;  why  should  he 
trouble  himself  to  raise  a  second  that  he  did  not  need  ? 
This  aversion  to  labor,  not  altogether  unnatural  in  such 
a  climate,  furnishes  ground  for  the  preference  given  to 
the  Tamils  as  laborers.  Whatever  his  laziness  and  his 
other  defects,  there  is  something  not  unattractive  in  the 
Sinhalese  as  he  appears  here  in  Colombo.  His  lighter 
skin  ;  his  upright,  rather  delicate,  figure  ;  the  "  repose" 
of  his  face  and  comparative  delicacy  of  feature  ;  his 
laudable  tendency  to  wear  "clothes,"  and  a  full  suit  at 
that,  rather  than  a  mere  waist  cloth,  with  the  neatness 
and  picturesqueness  of  his  costume,  give  him  an  exter- 
nal appearance  not  at  all  unpleasing.  The  same  indo- 
lence and  torpidity  which  characterize  him  physically, 
are  said  to  apply  to  his  intellect  and  conscience.  We 
found  him,  however,  if  not  keen  to  labor,  sufficiently 
sharp  at  a  bargain.     Characteristic  of  Colombo  are  its 


102  FAR    HENCE 

shops,  where  precious  stones,  gold  and  silver  jewelry 
and  filagree  work,  carving  in  ebony  and  ivory,  and  curios 
of  various  sorts,  are  exposed  for  sale.  Here,  as  in  all 
the  East,  the  price  asked  in  the  native  shops  is  far  in  ex- 
cess of  that  which  the  article  is  worth  or  the  dealer 
expects  to  obtain.  The  endless  chaffer  and  dicker  which 
take  place  before  a  purchase,  are  expected  by  the  mer- 
chant, and  form  the  delight  of  many  shoppers — the 
weariness  and  disgust  of  others.  The  results  are  often 
surprising — in  all  cases  much  less  than  the  original  price 
being  finally  accepted,  often  so  little  as  one-half,  one- 
third,  and  not  infrequently  one-fourth.  The  buyer  goes 
his  way  congratulating  himself  on  having  secured  "a 
bargain."  Perhaps  he  has,  but  the  chances  are  that  the 
advantage  is  on  the  side  of  the  dealer  after  all. 


CHAPTER  XVIIl. 

MISSIONS    AND    MOUNTAIN    VIEWS    AT    KANDY. 

Colombo,  March  28 
Mission  work  is  carried  on  in  Colombo  by  Roman 
Catholics  and  several  Protestant  societies.  The  former 
seem  to  be  largely  in  the  ascendant.  Probably  they 
have  never  lost  the  advantage  given  them  by  priority  of 
entrance,  and  the  forcible  or  otherwise  unchristian 
methods  adopted  by  the  Portuguese  for  the  propagation 
of  the  faith.  Of  Protestants,  the  Church  Missionary 
Society  (English)  has  the  largest  following.  The  Eng- 
lish Baptists  and  Wesleyans  are  also  represented  by 
Churches  and  schools,  together  with  the  S.  P.  G.'s 
(Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel),  though  the 
latter  might  object  to  being  classed  with  Protestants. 
They  and  the  Wesleyans  have  colleges,  St.  Thomas's, 
that  of  the  S.  P.  G.'s  being  located  in  a  park  in  which 
stands  also  the  Anglican  Cathedral.  The  Church  Mis- 
sionary Society  has  a  college  at  Kandy,  the  ancient 
capital  of  Ceylon,  and  distant  about  seventy-five  miles 
by  rail.  The  native  communicants  connected  with  these 
various  missions  in  Colombo  number  from  1,300  to  1,500. 
It  might  seem,  and  probably  will,  to  some,  that  this  is 
but  a  meagre  result  of  labors  faithfully  prosecuted  from 
the  earlier  part  of  this  century.  It  is  a  sad  fact — no 
more  sad  than  true — that  the  least  encouraging  results 
of  missionary  effort  are  found  in  seaports  like  Colombo. 
There  seems  to  be  something  in  the  moral  atmosphere 
of  such  places,  and  much  in  close  and  direct  contact 
with  that  phase  of  so-called  Christianity  which  presents 
itself    in    official    and    commercial    garb    and    relations. 


I04  FAR  HENCE 

which  renders  missionary  labor  comparatively  unpro- 
ductive. While  such  places  have  undoubted  advantages 
as  centres  of  missionary  influence  and  operation,  they 
too  seldom  have  "  the  smell  of  a  field  which  the  Lord 
hath  blessed." 

High  up  among  the  hills,  at  an  elevation  of  nearly 
1,700  feet  above  sea  level,  lies  Kandy,  the  ancient  capi- 
tal above  alluded  to.  Thither  we  went  for  a  few  days 
last  week,  to  escape  the  extreme  heat  of  this  city  and 
enjoy  a  brief  breathing  space  among  the  mountains.  A 
fine  carriage  road  of  easy  grade,  and  also  a  railroad, 
connect  it  with  Colombo.  We  took  the  railroad,  as  of- 
fering promise  of  easiest  and  most  speedy  transportation. 
Leaving  the  city  at  a  station  on  the  borders  of  a  small 
but  beautiful  lake,  the  road  passes  through  deeply 
shaded  groves  of  palms  and  other  trees,  and  crossing  a 
considerable  river  by  a  noble  bridge,  emerges  into  the 
open  country.  The  whole  distance  shows  one  unbroken 
but  ever-changing  scene  of  tropical  beauty.  Rich  fields 
of  rice  stretch  wide  on  either  hand,  in  which  men  and 
women  are  toiling,  weeding  or  transplanting  in  mud 
and  water,  or  lifting  the  water,  in  buckets  curiously 
suspended,  from  the  ditches  to  flood  the  fields.  In 
some  the  soft  muddy  soil  is  being  prepared  for  a  new 
crop,  and  the  diminutive  bullocks  or  lazy  water  buffalos 
are  slowly  dragging  behind  them  the  diminutive  native 
plow.  In  ponds  and  pools  the  buffalos — the  most  hide- 
ous animal  beneath  the  sun — are  wallowing  in  the  mud 
and  water  they  so  dearly  love.  Luxuriant  groves  over- 
shadow and  almost  hide  from  view  the  hamlets  and 
and  single  huts  that  seek  their  shelter  from  the  scorch- 
ing sun.  Low  wooded  hills  appear,  through  which  the 
road  winds  tortuously,  disclosing  at  each  turn  some  new 
vision  of  beauty  to  delight  the  eye.  The  air  is  full  of 
fragrance  from  flowering  shrubs  and  vines  which  hang 


FAR    HENCE  105 

in  gorgeous  festoons  from  the  loftiest  trees.  The  sta- 
tions are  decked  with  flowers  of  every  hue.  For  fifty 
miles  the  entire  distance  seems  to  lie  in  one  vast  park 
with  blooming  gardens  interspersed.  Then  the  ascent 
begins,  from  an  elevation  of  only  300  feet,  and  in  twelve 
miles  the  laboring  train  climbs  to  a  height  of  1,698  feet 
above  the  sea.  Skirting  the  edge  of  many  a  precipice  the 
eye  looks  down  on  smiling  valleys  where  the  lower  slopes, 
terrace  above  terrace,  are  under  highest  cultivation,  and 
brilliant  with  the  green  of  growing  rice,  or  off  on  ranges 
of  glorious  hills  rising  tier  above  tier,  in  rounded  or 
fantastic  shapes.  If  Adam  did  not  live  among  these  hills 
he  might  have  done  it  and  found  Paradise. 

Kandy  itself  is  finely  situated,  in  a  bowl  shut  in  by 
hills  on  all  sides.  A  small  but  beautiful  lake  disputes 
with  it  possession  of  the  bowl.  At  midday  the  sun  beats 
down  with  tropical  fury,  and  pith  helmets  and  white 
umbrellas  are  as  needful  for  protection  from  his  rays  as 
on  the  coast.  But  the  air  is  freer  and  drier,  and,  when 
the  sun  withdraws  his  heat  and  the  evening  shadows 
settle  down,  delightfully  cool.  At  night,  for  the  first 
time  in  many  weeks,  we  found  a  blanket  desirable  for 
comfort.  Numerous  drives  and  walks,  laid  out  with 
skill  and  kept  in  perfect  order,  open  the  secrets  of  the 
hills  and  offer  numerous'  views  of  surpassing  beauty. 
From  a  nucleus  on  the  borders  of  the  lake,  the  town 
stretches  in  two  or  three  long  streets,  closely  built  and 
lined  with  shops  or  neat-looking  cottages  of  stone  and 
brick.  Here  are  several  Buddhist  temples,  chief  among 
them  the  Malagawa  temple,  in  which  is  kept  one  of 
Buddlia's  teeth.  The  casket  which  holds  it  is  alone  ex- 
hibited to  ordinary  visitors,  and  that  only  at  certain 
hours.  Those  who  have  seen  it  stand  surprised  at  its 
enormous  size,  and  at  the  conception  of  the  gigantic 
mouth  that  must  have  held  it.     For  a  consideration,  the 


io6  FAR  HENCE 

treasures  of  the  temple  are  also  shown.  Four  miles 
from  Kandy,  on  the  road  to  Colombo,  are  the  Pera- 
deniya  Botanical  Gardens,  in  which  we  spent  two 
delightful  afternoons.  The  road  thither  lies  through 
a  suburb  of  Kandy,  long  drawn  out,  lined  on  either  side 
by  shops  and  cottages  which  are  surrounded  by  cocoa- 
nut  palms,  breadfruit,  jackfruit,  coffee  and  other  trees. 
Almost,  if  not  quite,  every  tree  and  plant  known  to  the 
tropics  and  semi-tropical  regions,  is  to  be  found  in  these 
gardens.  The  entrance  is  a  bower  of  beauty,  the  posts 
of  the  gate  being  entirely  hidden  by  luxuriant  creepers. 
At  the  left  stands  an  imposing  row  of  stately  India  rub- 
ber trees  with  their  thick,  glossy  foliage,  the  roots  ex- 
posed and  looking  as  though  they  had  trickled  down 
from  the  massive  trunks  and  spread  themselves  in  viscid 
streams  over  the  surface  of  the  ground  at  their  own 
sweet  will,  A  very  intelligent  Sinhalese,  speaking  ex- 
cellent American  (not  English)  accompanied  us  through 
the  grounds  and  pointed  out  the  most  interesting  objects. 
The  collection  of  palms,  from  every  portion  of  the  world 
in  which  palms  grow,  is  especially  full  and  complete. 
An  avenue  of  sago  palms,  rising  like  pillars  smooth  and 
straight  to  a  great  height,  their  fronds  meeting  over- 
head, formed  a  spectacle  of  surpassing  beauty.  There, 
too,  was  the  talipot  palm  in  all  stages  of  growth,  of  vigor 
and  decay.  With  larger  trunk  than  most  other  varie- 
ties, it  grows  for  years  till  it  attains  a  great  height,  its 
top  crowned  with  a  cluster  of  wide-spreading  leaves. 
At  length  from  the  very  centre  of  this  clump,  a  tall 
flower  stem  shoots  up  to  an  additional  height  of  twenty 
or  thirty  feet.  It  blossoms  and  the  flowers  die,  and  the 
tall  tree  itself,  its  lifework  finished,  decays  and  falls.  We 
saw  the  vigorous  growth,  the  shooting  stem,  and  the  de- 
caying tree — the  top  fallen  over  and  hanging  downward, 
doubling  together   the  trunk    that   had   borne   it,  from 


FAR    HENCE  107 

which  the  very  heart  had  rotted  out.  There  were  palms 
from  Africa — the  "traveller's,"  which  secretes  at  the 
base  of  its  spreading  fronds  a  cup  of  water  to  which 
thirsty  travellers  have  recourse  —  and  many  others. 
Why  should  I  attempt  the  impossible  task  of  enumerat- 
ing the  hundred  or  more  varieties  ?  Are  they  not  there  for 
every  one  to  see  who  will  pay  these  gardens  a  visit  ? 
Specially  noticeable  and  beautiful  were  the  clumps  of 
bamboo,  rising  from  the  brink  of  the  river  which  encir- 
cles the  garden,  or  set  in  the  midst  of  smoothly  shaven 
grass,  and  reaching  a  height  and  size  I  had  not  conceived 
possible.  Few  things  in  the  garden,  or  in  nature  any- 
where, are  more  beautiful  than  they.  Orchids  abound, 
and  ferns,  and  flowering  creepers,  some  of  the  latter  of 
gigantic  size,  climbing  the  tallest  trees  and  hanging 
from  them  in  long  streamers,  or  binding  tree  to  tree  in 
graceful  festoons.  The  whole  place  is  an  epitome  of  the 
tropics — not  in  the  wild  and  bewildering  confusion  of 
their  native  state,  but  orderly,  well  kept,  accessible,  and 
open  to  study  and  inspection.  Even  the  ''  Deadly  Upas  " 
tree  is  there,  innocuous,  shedding  no  baleful  atmosphere 
nor  anything  more  hurtful  than  its  withering  leaves. 
Its  juice  is  poisonous  and  that  alone.  But  as  we  had 
no  arrows  to  poison  we  did  not  come  in  contact  with  it. 
The  hillsides  about  Kandy,  and  the  slopes  among  all 
these  mountains,  are  devoted  to  tea-culture.  Formerly 
much  coffee  was  raised  on  these  plantations,  but  of  late 
years  the  ravages  of  a  bug  upon  the  leaves  have  been  so 
destructive  as  to  ruin  the  crops,  and  planters  are  giving 
their  attention  almost  exclusively  to  tea.  The  process 
of  culture  and  cure  is  similar  in  almost  every  respect  to 
that  prevailing  in  India,  which  I  have  already  described. 
I  am  told  that  the  Ceylon  and  India  teas  are  rapidly 
displacing,  in  Great  Britain,  the  teas  of  China  and 
Formosa. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

TROPICAL    SEAS    AND    SCENES. 

Hong  Kong,  April  i8 
We  left  Colombo  on  the  29th  of  March  in  the  good 
ship  "Ravenna."  Smooth  seas  and  cloudless  skies 
made  the  voyage  for  several  days  and  nights  a  very  en- 
joyable one.  Life  on  these  P.  &  O.  (Peninsular  &  Orien- 
tal) steamers  is  made  as  comfortable  and  pleasant  as  it 
is  possible  for  life  at  sea  to  be.  Awnings  of  double 
thickness  cover  the  decks  and  intercept  the  heat  by  day 
and  the  rain  by  night.  The  latter  item  is  not  unimpor- 
tant when  fully  two  thirds  of  the  saloon  passengers 
camp  down  on  deck,  nightly,  to  escape  the  heat  and 
closeness  of  the  cabins  in  these  lower  latitudes.  In  the 
cooler  parts  of  the  day — morning  and  evening — provision 
is  made  for  various  sports  and  games,  in  which  the 
ladies  sometimes  join.  At  evening  the  deck  is  lighted 
with  electric  lamps,  the  piano  is  opened,  and  songs  and 
music  help  to  while  away  the  hours.  On  clear  nights 
the  stars  shine  with  a  peculiar  brilliancy,  the  old  familiar 
stars  and  constellations  are  largely  lost  to  sight,  and 
new  ones  take  their  places.  Brilliant  among  them 
hangs  the  Southern  Cross,  yet  not  so  glorious  as  the 
hope  of  years  and  the  rapturous  descriptions  of  others 
had  led  us  to  expect. 

The  one  blot  and  shame  on  all  these  steamers — we 
have  now  been  on  four  of  them — is  the  daily  "  pool  " 
over  the  day's  run.  Even  the  ladies,  many  of  them,  take 
their  chances  in  this  sort  of  gambling  and  win  or  lose 
their  share  of  the  stakes.  There  seems  to  be  nothing, 
however   innocent,   which  cannot    be  made   instrumen- 


FAR   HENCE  109 

tal  in  feeding  the  passion  for  gambling,  which  in  one 
form  or  another,  seems  to  be  universal. 

In  the  second  cabin  were  a  party  of  missionaries  on 
their  way  to  China,  with  whom  we  had  some  pleasant 
intercourse.  Four  of  them  were  young  men  on  their 
way  to  join  the  mission  of  the  Wesleyan  (English)  So- 
ciety at  Hankow.  This  is  the  place  where  one  of  their 
missionaries,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Argent,  lost  his  life  last  year 
at  the  hands  of  an  infuriated  Chinese  mob.  As  in  so 
many  other  instances  has  been  the  case,  his  death  has 
served  to  fire  the  zeal  of  others,  and  prompted  renewed 
efforts  to  carry  forward  the  work  in  which  and  for  which 
he  laid  down  his  life.  Modest  and  unassuming,  they  yet 
showed  no  sign  of  fear  in  contemplation  of  the  work 
and  possible  perils  to  which  they  were  going.  God 
grant  them  His  protection  and  abundant  blessing. 

As  we  approached  the  Straits  of  Malacca  the  weather 
changed,  the  air  grew  thick  and  moist,  dense  masses 
of  fog  and  cloud  shut  in  the  view,  and  sudden,  sharp, 
short  showers  descended  frequently.  The  atmosphere 
seemed  that  of  a  huge  vapor  bath,  and  existence  grew 
burdensome.  At  length,  early  on  Sunday  morning, 
April  3d,  we  anchored  off  the  island  of-  Penang.  No 
need  to  remind  ourselves  that  we  were  in  the  tropics. 
The  fact  appealed  to  every  sense.  Perpetual  summer 
reigns,  and  clothes  the  island  with  luxuriant  and  un- 
changing beauty.  The  town  itself  lies  low,  and  shows 
but  little  to  attract  or  interest.  Behind  it  rises  Penang 
►  Hill  to  a  height  of  nearly  3,000  feet,  clothed  to  the  sum- 
mit with  tropical  verdure.  With  excellent  judgment 
and  good  taste  the  Governor  of  the  settlement  has 
pitched  his  bungalow  up  there,  where  he  escapes  the 
heat,  enjoys  the  delightful  coolness  of  the  upper  atmos- 
phere, and  looks  down  upon  a  scene  of  beauty — forest 
and   sea — of  which  it  must  be  hard   to  tire.     Down   the 


no  FAR  HENCE 

steep  incline,  and  gleaming  amid  the  dark  greenery  of 
the  forest,  leaps  a  beautiful  cascade,  distinctly  visible 
from  the  steamer's  deck. 

Penang  is  one  of  the  "  Straits  Settlements,"  as  they  are 
called,  belonging  to  Great  Britain,  and  has  a  large  and 
rapidly  growing  trade,  owing  to  its  proximity  to  the 
plantations  of  Sumatra  and  the  opposite  peninsula  of 
Malacca.  Numerous. small  steamers  ply  between  it  and 
different  points  in  the  Straits  ;  several  lines  of  larger 
steamers  connect  it  with  Hong  Kong  and  other  ports  in 
China,  and  the  Great  European  lines  make  it  a  port-of- 
call.  The  harbor,  or  roadstead,  is,  therefore,  a  busy 
place.  We  did  not  tarry  long,  however,  but  at  ten 
o'clock  were  again  on  our  way.  The  confusion  incident 
to  arrival  and  departure  prevented  the  usual  morn- 
ing service.  But  in  the  cool  evening  the  ship's  company 
were  gathered  on  the  deck,  and  joined  in  the  English 
service. 

The  next  day  found  us  coasting  along  the  western 
coast  of  Malacca,  its  wooded  shores  and  mountain 
heights  in  constant  sight.  In  the  afternoon  we  entered 
the  beautiful  harbor  of  Singapore.  Itself  an  island  at  the 
extreme  southern  end  of  the  peninsula,its  harbor  is  formed 
by  other  islands  encircling  it,  and  is  a  great  naval  rendez- 
vous and  coaling  station.  Lying  almost  under  the 
equator,  in  latitude  i  deg.,  17  min.,  North,  the  climate 
is  subject  to  little  change.  Of  its  quality  we  had  a  sat- 
isfying taste,  as  we  were  able  to  spend  the  night  on 
shore,  our  steamer  lying  over  night  to  take  in  coal. 
The  island  lies  low,  its  greatest  height  but  little  exceed- 
ing 500  feet.  The  city  stretches  for  several  miles  along 
the  southern  shore,  facing  the  sea.  A  noble  Bund, 
flanked  by  the  principal  hotels  and  some  fine  buildings, 
extends  along  the  water,  and  furnishes  a  delightful 
promenade  and  driveway.     At  evening  it  was  thronged 


FAR  HENCE  1 1 1 

with  equipages,  conspicuous  among  them  the  handsome 
carriages,  with  coachmen  and  footmen  in  livery,  in 
which  wealthy  Chinese  merchants  and  their  families 
were  taking  the  air.  While  every  eastern  nation  is  rep- 
resented, with  many  Europeans,  the  Chinese  seem  to 
be  largely  in  the  majority.  In  fact,  a  stranger  might  be 
excused  for  fancying  himself  in  China.  The  language 
in  common  use  is  Malay,  but  a  multitude  of  tongues  is 
spoken,  and  one  had  need  be  a  very  polyglot  indeed  to 
speak  and  understand  them  all.  It  was  interesting  to 
come  across  a  little  neighborhoo^i  of  Tamils,  and  a 
diminutive  Hindu  temple  had  a  familiar  if  not  welcome 
look. 

In  the  early  morning  we  took  a  drive  along  "Orchard 
Road "  to  the  Botanical  Gardens,  three  miles  out  of 
town.  The  road  was  excellent,  as  are  all  roads  in  Eng- 
lish settlements,  and  from  it  branched  off  others,  equally 
good,  at  frequent  intervals.  Trees  overarched  the  way 
and  darkened  it  with  their  thick  masses  of  foliage,  till 
the  senses  became  weary  of  the  shade  and  the  dense  at- 
mosphere, and  found  relief  in  an  occasional  break,  dis- 
closing glimpses  of  the  sky  and  letting  in  the  air.  The 
Gardens  are  of  large  extent,  beautifully  laid  out,  and 
kept  in  perfect  order.  Within  them  every  species  of 
tropical  vegetation  is  to  be  found — trees,  shrubbery, 
ferns,  orchids,  vines  and  flowers  in  endless  number  and 
variety,  and  of  surpassing  beauty.  It  was  another 
glimpse  of  Paradise,  akin  and  almost  equal  to  Ceylon. 
Especially  interesting  was  the  house  of  ferns,  nestling  in 
a  wooded  dell,  rich  in  varieties  of  "  maiden  hair  "  and 
delicate  ferns  of  form  and  fineness  we  had  never  seen  till 
then.  Passing  through  the  grounds  and  porch  of  Gov- 
ernment House  on  our  return,  we  were  able,  from  the 
gentle  eminence  on  which  it  stands,  to  get  a  view  of  a 
considerable  portion  of  the  island  adjacent  to  the  town. 


112  FAR  HENCE 

Everywhere  rich  verdure  and  the  densest  masses  of 
foliage,  a  thin  vapor  hanging  over  all,  and  in  the  distance 
the  gleaming  sea.  It  was  a  picture  long  to  be  remem- 
bered, though  the  atmosphere  was  like  that  of  a  great 
forcing  house. 

The  "Straits  Settlements,"  constituting  a  crown 
colony  of  Great  Britain,  and  under  colonial  government, 
comprise  Singapore,  .Penang  and  Province  Welles- 
ley  directly  opposite,  Malacca,  with  a  few  small  and 
distant  islands.  The  principal  mission  work  is  car- 
ried on  by  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gos- 
pel (S.  P.  G.),  though  the  Presbyterian  Churches  of 
England  and  Scotland  are  also  represented  by  a  small 
number  of  missionaries  and  stations.  Within  a  few 
years  work  has  been  vigorously  begun  at  Singapore  by 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  (North)  of  the  United 
States,  under  the  direction  of  Bishop  Thoburn.  They 
have  a  considerable  force  of  missionaries  and  assistants 
at  work  among  the  Malays,  Tamils  and  Chinese.  The 
climate  has  proved  very  trying,  and  has  interfered  much 
with  the  continuance  of  missionaries  in  the  field.  A 
hospital  and  Anglo-Chinese  College  form  prominent  and 
successful  features  of  their  work. 

Thick  fog  and  rain  welcomed  our  approach  to  the 
coast  of  China  at  Hong  Kong.  Moving  slowly,  some- 
times coming  to  a  dead  stop,  and  then  proceeding  as  the 
fog  lifted  a  little,  the  good  ship  continually  felt  her  way 
into  the  harbor.  Huge  masses  of  yellow  earth  and  sav- 
age rock  loomed  through  the  mist  and  disappeared.  In- 
numerable native  craft  of  every  size  appeared  for  a  mo- 
ment and  were  lost  to  sight.  At  length  the  rain  ceased, 
the  clouds  parted,  disclosing  the  mountains  of  China  and 
the  Peak  of  Hong  Kong  on  either  hand,  and  we  steamed 
into  the  harbor.  And  a  glorious  harbor  it  is,  formed  by 
the  island   of   Hong  Kong  itself  and  the  mainland  over 


FAR  HENCE  113 

against  which  it  lies,  crowded  with  ships  of  every  sort 
and  size.  Here  lay  at  anchor  white  iron  clads  of  differ- 
ent navies,  and  among  them  our  own  ^'Lancaster,"  in 
sombre  black,  the  stars  and  stripes  floating  from  her 
peak  ;  a  multitude  of  mail  and  merchant  steamers  ;  ships 
from  all  parts  of  the  world  ;  Chinese  junks  and  Portu- 
gese lorchas,  while  the  surface  was  dotted  and  the  edge 
of  the  harbor  fringed  with  swarms  of  sampans.  Flitting 
among  them,  steam  launches,  large  and  small,  were 
darting  to  and  fro.  Above  it,  on  the  south,  towers  "  the 
Peak" — 1, 80c  feet  in  height — one  of  the  summits  of  the 
mountain  ridge  which  constitutes  the  island  of  Hong 
Kong.  The  town,  Victoria,  rises  from  the  water's  edge 
and  creeps,  terrace  above  terrace,  nearly  half  way  up,  by 
roads  constructed  with  consummate  engineering  skill. 
Half  buried  among  trees  on  the  upper  levels,  are  seen 
churches  and  other  handsome  buildings,  and  the  white 
houses  of  the  wealthier  merchants  and  other  residents. 

Into  this  scene  of  mingled  bustle  and  beauty  we  burst 
on  the  morning  of  the  loth.  It  was  the  work  of  hours 
to  get  ourselves  and  our  belongings  safely  on  shore  and 
comfortably  housed  in  the  excellent  '*  Hong  Kong 
Hotel."  Unlike  many  an  eastern  city,  the  favorable  im- 
pression made  by  the  view  from  without,  is  not  dispelled 
by  closer  inspection  from  within.  Created  by  British 
capital,  energy  and  skill,  and  under  British  government, 
it  is  in  many  respects  an  English  city,  though  inhabited 
by  comparatively  few^  Europeans  and  multitudes  of 
Chinese  and  other  Asiatics.  Its  population  numbers 
140,000.  The  streets  are  broad,  well  paved  and  smooth, 
with  concrete  or  asphalt,  well  kept  and  clean,  and  lined 
with  trees. 

Along  the  water  runs  the  Praya,  a  busy  street,  crowded 
with  men  and  merchandise  and  lined  with  stores,  hotels 
and  offices.     Next  to  this  and  running  parallel  to  it,  is 


114  F^R    HENCE 

Queen's  Road,  the  principal  street  of  the  city.  Many 
fine  buildings  adorn  it,  conspicuous  among  them  the 
elegant  building  of  the  Hong  Kong  and  Shanghai 
Bank.  On  it  stands  the  Clock  Tower,  whose  bells  chime 
the  quarters,  and  from  which  distances  on  the  island  are 
measured.  Numerous  shops,  both  European  and  Chinese, 
along  this  street,  display  attractive  wares  of  Eastern 
manufacture,  especially  of  the  arts  and  industries  of 
Southern  China.  Silks,  crapes  and  silverware,  lacquer 
and  porcelain,  wood,  ivory  and  bronze,  are  all  to  be  found 
in  bewildering  and  fascinating  variety  and  profusion. 
Even  in  the  Chinese  quarters  the  houses  are  high  and 
large  as  compared  with  the  ordinary  Chinese  city.  The 
contrast  between  this  city  and  Canton,  the  largest  and 
finest  in  Southern  China,  is  very  marked. 

One  is  particularly  struck  with  the  absence  of  horses 
and  wheeled  vehicles  of  any  sort,  other  than  the  jinrik- 
sha.  Burdens  are  carried  by  coolies,  suspended  from 
poles  and  borne  by  one,  two  or  more,  as  they  may  be 
light  or  heavy.  On  the  Praya  and  Queen's  Road  the 
chief  means  of  locomotion  is  the  jinriksha,  which  seems 
to  be  thoroughly  domesticated  here  from  Japan.  Multi- 
tudes of  them  are  at  hand,  and  no  one  need  be  dissatis- 
fied either  at  the  pace  at  which  he  is  borne  along,  or 
the  smoothness  of ,  the  road  over  which  he  is  carried. 
These  lower  streets  fairly  swarm  with  men  of  almost 
every  nationality  under  heaven,  the  Chinese,  of  course, 
being  the  most  numerous.  Among  them  may  be  seen 
representatives  from  America  and  every  nation  of  Europe, 
of  various  tribes  of  India,  and  from  Ceylon. 

For  the  steep  inclines  and  higher  levels,  chairs  alone 
are  used,  suspended  on  poles  and  borne  on  the  shoulders 
of  two — sometimes  three — stalwart  bearers,  at  a  rapid 
pace.  Their  measured  tread  and  the  elastic  spring  of 
the  poles  produce  a   motion   not  disagreeable   to   most 


FAR    HENCE  115 

persons,  but  to  some  resulting  in  a  sensation  akin  to 
sea-sickness.  These  inclines  lead  upward  to  roads  run- 
ning along  the  mountain  side  and  cut  out  from  its  face, 
or  carried  over  ravines  by  bridges  and  embankments. 
One,  the  Bowen  road,  is  laid  out  upon  the  top  of  the 
Aqueduct,  a  noble  and  costly  work,  by  means  of  which  a 
supply  of  excellent  water  is  brought  into  the  city.  Fol- 
lowing its  course  it  winds  in  and  out  along  the  face  of 
the  Peak  for  miles,  at  an  elevation  of  more  than  a  hun- 
dred feet,  and  furnishing  a  constant  succession  of  charm- 
ing views  of  city,  mountains,  harbor,  and  the  regions 
opposite  and  beyond.  But  the  whole  town  and  harbor 
are  "dominated,"  so  to  speak,  by  "the  Peak,"  rising  an 
almost  perpendicular  mass  above  them,  and  seeming, 
when  one  looks  to  the  southward,  to  shut  out  the  very 
heavens.  A  hard,  smooth  road,  constructed  with  infinite 
pains  and  skill,  climbs  in  many  a  wind  and  zigzag  to 
the  summit.  Within  the  last  few  years  a  cable  tramway 
has  been  added,  with  nearly  straight  course  and  steep 
incline.  For  a  considerable  distance  the  grade  nearly  ap- 
proaches the  perpendicular,  and  one  involuntarily  holds 
his  breath  till  it  is  safely  passed.  There  are  large  hotels 
on  the  summit,  and  many  cottages  also.  To  these  the 
dwellers  in  the  town  below  resort  in  the  long,  hot  sum-' 
mer.  The  heat  in  that  season  is  said  to  be  intense,  the 
great  bulk  of  the  Peak  cutting  the  city  off  completely 
from  the  southwest  monsoon  which  there  prevails. 

At  this  season,  the  "  rainy  " — and  between  the  two 
monsoons — the  summit  is  almost  perpetually  robed  in 
clouds.  In  the  eight  days  we  have  been  here,  but  one 
has  shown  the  entire  mountain,  clear  of  clouds,  from  top 
to  bottom.  We  took  advantage  of  this  break  and  went 
up  by  the  tramway.  Though  the  day  was  warm  below 
and  the  air  still,  the  fresh  breeze  on  the  summit  blew 
strong  and  chill.     The  view  was  superb.     At  our  feet, 


Ii6  FAR  HENCE 

seeming  so  near  that  we  could  almost  toss  a  pebble  into 
it,  lay  the  city,  its  entire  water  line,  stretching  for  miles 
from  east  to  west,  and  all  its  climbing  roads  and  terraces 
exposed.  The  harbor,  thickly  dotted  with  vessels  at 
anchor,  while  innumerable  steam  launches  and  small 
boats  —  like  water  insects  —  darted  or  crept  over  its 
smooth  surface.  Hills  near  or  far  shut  it  in  on  every 
side.  On  the  extreme  right  the  Lymoon  pass,  but  half 
a  mile  wide,  opens  to  the  ocean.  Strong  fortifications 
on  either  side  give  to  the  English  complete  control  of 
this  great  artery  of  commerce.  Over  against  the  town 
lay  the  peninsula  of  Kowloon,  a  British  possession 
ceded  in  1861,  and  strongly  fortified.  Here  are  exten- 
sive warehouses  or  "godowns"  for  the  storage  and 
trans-shipment  of  goods,  and  back  of  all  beyond  the 
British  line,  the  hills  of  China  stretching  away  into  the 
distance.  Southward  lay  the  ocean,  its  lazily  swelling 
bosom  dotted  with  islands  and  flecked  with  many  a 
passing  sail. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

A   FLYING  VISIT  TO  CANTON. 

Hong  Kong,  April  i8 
Canton,  the  capital  of  the  Kwang-tung  Province,  is 
situated  on  the  Pearl  River,  ninety  or  ninety-five  miles 
from  Hong  Kong.  Fine  river  steamers,  built  after  the 
American  model,  ply  between  the  two  cities.  The  trav- 
eller who  takes  one  of  them  can  make  it  also  his  hotel, 
transferring  from  one  to  another  so  long  as  he  may  wish 
to  stay.  We  took  the  "  Fatshan  "  last  Wednesday  eve- 
ning, and  returned  with  her  on  Thursday  night,  finding 
every  comfort  of  bedroom  and  table.  Leaving  Hong 
Kong  at  5.30,  we  passed  through  the  group  of  islands 
into  the  mouth  of  the  river,  guarded  on  either  hand  by 
frowning  hills,  and  anchored  for  several  hours.  There 
are  no  lighthouses  in  the  river,  and  the  approach  to 
Canton  by  night  is  dangerous  and,  I  believe,  forbidden. 
Awake  at  an  early  hour,  the  spectacle,  as  we  approached 
the  city,  was  novel  and  very  interesting.  It  extends  for 
about  four  miles  along  the  north  bank  of  the  river.  The 
houses,  for  the  most  part,  are  of  one  story  only.  Tower- 
ing above  them  were  the  twin  spires  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Cathedral,  built  of  solid  granite,  and  rising  to  a 
height  of  150  feet.  Almost  equally  prominent  are  the 
pawnshops — immense  square  structures  of  granite,  rising 
several  stories  above  the  houses  and  shops.  They  are 
thus  built  for  safety  and  do  a  thriving  business.  Large 
quantities  of  goods  are  pawned,  never  to  be  redeemed,  and 
every  year  a  sale  is  made  of  articles  thus  left.  Beside  this 
use,  many  people  bring  each  summer  their  winter  ward- 
robes and  leave  them  on  deposit,  taking  thence  the  sum- 


ii8  FAR  HENCE 

mer  clothing  which  they  had  similarly  deposited  at  the 
approach  of  winter.  They  thus  become  vast  storehouses 
for  people  whose  supply  of  house  room  is  limited,  as  that 
of  the  vast  majority  of  the  people  is. 

Along  the  river,  which  is  here  two  miles  in  width,  on 
both  sides  are  moored  countless  river  and  houseboats, 
in  solid  rows  or  blocks,  with  watery  lanes  and  avenues 
between.  On  these  boats  the  people  who  own  them 
live,  scarcely  ever,  some  of  them  never,  setting  foot  on 
land.  The  children  are  born,  grow  up  and  die  with  no 
other  house  or  home.  Of  the  1,500,000  inhabitants  of 
Canton,  it  is  estimated  that  fully  300,000  live  thus  on 
the  water.  Beside  these,  numerous  boats,  similarly  in- 
habited, are  plying  to  and  fro  across  the  river,  or  up  and 
down  to  points  above  or  below.  To  bring  a  large  steam- 
boat through  such  a  swarm  without  accident  is  no  easy 
task,  and  one  by  which  alone  our  captain  declared  he 
earned  his  salary. 

Soon  after  reaching  the  wharf  Dr.  B.  C.  Henry,  of  the 
American  Presbyterian  Mission,  came  on  board  and 
kindly  insisted  on  our  coming  home  with  him  to  break- 
fast. Both  he  and  his  family  showed  us  no  little  kind- 
ness, devoting  the  day  to  our  entertainment  and  profit. 
We  visited  the  Woman's  and  Girls'  School  in  the  same 
compound,  under  the  charge  of  Miss  Lewis,  and  were 
delighted  with  the  bright,  intelligent  faces  of  the  native 
teachers  and  the  120  scholars  in  attendance.  Later  in 
the  day  we  also  visited  the  Hospital  close  at  hand,  first 
opened  by  Dr.  Peter  Parker  in  1839,  but  now  and  for 
many  years  under  the  able  conduct  of  Dr.  Kerr.  It  was 
a  disappointment  not  to  meet  the  doctor,  whose  name  is 
widely  known  in  America  and  in  China,  but  Dr.  Swan 
and  Miss  Dr.  Niles  kindly  supplied  his  place,  and  no  at- 
tention or  information  were  lacking.  A  vast  amount  of 
work  is  done  here.     During  1891  no  less  than  22,452  out- 


FAR    HENCE  119 

patients  and  1,269  in-patients  were  treated,  and  2,140 
surgical  operations  performed.  The  wards  are  extensive, 
and  a  fine  chapel  affords  opportunity  for  daily  morning 
and  evening  worship  and  Sunday  services  as  well.  The 
work  of  the  Mission  is  extensive,  reaching  far  into  the 
interior,  even  to  the  borders  of  Hunan,  the  hotbed  of 
bigotry  and  hatred  of  foreigners,  and  fomenting  centre 
of  recent  disturbances  and  riots  further  north.  It  ex- 
tends also  .to  the  islands  of  Macao  and  Hainan  on  the 
south. 

The  old  city  of  Canton  is  very  ancient,  surrounded  by 
a  wall — as  all  Chinese  cities  are — which  was  built  in  the 
eleventh  century  and  completed  as  it  now  stands  in  the 
fourteenth.  It  is  called,  also,  the  City  of  Rams,  owing 
to  the  tradition  that,  in  the  fourteenth  century,  or  before, 
five  Genii  visited  it,  riding  on  five  rams,  and  bearing  in 
their  hands  the  five  principal  grains,  rice,wheat,  etc.  These 
they  gave  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  with  the  prayer 
that  they  might  "  prosper  and  multiply."  The  Genii 
then  disappeared  and  the  rams  were  turned  into  stone. 
The  story  must  be  true,  for  are  not  the  stones  preserved 
to  this  day  in  the  temple  erected  to  the  five  Genii,  where 
also  their  images  are  set  up,  each  with  his  appropriate 
stone  at  his  feet  ?  Their  benevolent  prayer,  also,  has 
been  answered,  for  Canton  is  a  very  wealthy  city,  with 
numbers  of  rich  merchants,  and  the  population  and 
dwellings  have  many  times  outgrown  its  original  pro- 
portions. It  is  said  that  when  the  Roman  Catholic 
Cathedral,  with  its  lofty  spires,  was  built,  the  people 
were  greatly  excited  lest  the  happy  relations  of  the 
spirits  should  be  interfered  with,  and  the  prosperity  of 
the  city  ruinously  disturbed.  The  wise  men,  skilled  in 
such  matters,  were  consulted.  They  sagely  and  pru- 
dently delivered  the  opinion  that  the  spires  were  two 
new  horns  sprouting  from  the  rams  and  therefore  boded 


I20  FAR    HENCE 

no  ill  to  the  city.  The  spires  were,  therefore,  allowed 
to  stand,  however  illogical  and  unwarranted  the  conclu- 
sion may  have  been. 

The  city  is  well  described  as  a  "  labyrinth  of  lanes." 
Woe  to  the  traveller  who  attempts  to  thread  its  mazes 
unguided  and  alone.  There  is  a  guild  of  licensed  guides 
who  meet  the  boats  and  conduct  strangers  through  the 
streets.  We,  more  fortunate,  saw  them  under  the  genial 
conduct  of  Dr.  Henry.  There  is  a  law  that  no  street 
shall  be  of  a  less  width  than  eight  feet !  Few,  if  any, 
were  wider.  It  was  hard  to  believe  that  many  of  them 
were  so  wide.  Nor  do  I  believe  it.  For  many  times, 
when  our  chairs  stopped,  it  would  have  been  difficult 
for  another  chair  to  pass.  They  are  paved  with  stone,  a 
sewer  running  under  the  stones,  from  which  odorous  ex- 
halations find  their  way  upward  through  frequent  cracks 
and  gaps.  They  have  curious  names,  of  which  the  fol- 
lowing are  specimens  :  "  White  Rice,"  "  Thirteen  Hong," 
"  New  Bean,"  "  Ascending  Dragon,"  "  Longevity  Lane," 
"Great  Peace,"  "Heavenly  Peace,"  "Benevolence  and 
Love."  Some  of  them  are  covered,  and  most  of  them 
lined  on  either  side  with  shops.  Those  of  the  same 
character  are  crowded  together  in  the  same  street,  inter- 
spersed  with  cook-shops,  restaurants  and  opium  dens,  all 
contributing  to  swell  the  cloud  of  odors  that  ascend  and 
fill  the  air.  Some  of  these  shops  are  filled  with  goods  of 
elegant  material  and  manufacture,  as  the  jade-stone, 
silk  and  black-wood  shops  and  many  others.  Gaudy 
signs  are  over  the  entrance,  and  long,  swinging  blocks 
of  lacquered  wood  in  various  colors  display  in  gilt  char- 
acters an  invitation  to  enter,  or  some  high-sounding 
description  of  the  goods  to  be  found  within,  some  moral 
aphorism  or  some  quotation  from  the  classics.  Among 
the  meat  shops  this  sign  hung  in  full  view  :  "  Nice, 
fresh,  black  pussy  cat."     Each  shop,  too,  has  its  shrine. 


EATING  CHOW. 


FAR  HENCE  121 

before  which  incense  is  kept  burning  to  the  god  of 
trade. 

The  streets  were  thronged  with  people,  and  many  fol- 
lowed our  procession — chiefly  curious  boys — and,  as 
often  as  we  entered  any  shop,  the  doors  and  street  out- 
side were  instantly  filled  with  a  curious,  gaping  crowd 
as  intent  on  inspecting  the  foreign  visitors  as  they  were 
on  inspecting  the  goods  exposed  for  sale.  The  same 
was  true  of  every  temple  and  Pagoda  at  which  we 
halted,  till  at  last  it  ceased  to  be  either  laughable  or  an- 
noying, and  became  a  matter  of  entire  indifference.  It 
was  impossible  to  dismiss  them  and  useless  to  be  annoyed 
by  them.  The  only  proper  feeling  would  have  been  sat- 
isfaction in  affording  them  so  rare  a  show. 

Threading  the  streets  thus  attended  we  visited  the 
Cathedral  of  which  I  have  already  spoken,  a  fine  build- 
ing of  solid  granite,  begun  in  i860  and  completed  twenty 
years  later.  Its  lofty  nave  and  handsome  glass  windows 
seemed  out  of  place  in  such  a  city.  Thence  to  the  Ex- 
amination Hall,  where  recently  12,000  students  went  up 
for  the  Provincial  examination,  and  11,880  were 
"plucked."  This  does  not,  however,  mean  that  only  120 
were  found  worthy  to  pass,  but  that  the  government 
would  only  give  so  many  degrees.  We  could  see  the 
long  rows  of  barrack-like  buildings  in  which  candidates 
are  immured  in  cells  during  the  entire  period  assigned 
to  the  examination,  but  unfortunately  could  not  enter, 
as  a  preliminary  examination  was  in  process.  The  Em- 
peror's Temple,  not  far  off,  encloses  a  large  rectangular 
court,  comprising  two  pavilions,  one  on  the  north,  in 
which  the  Emperor's  tablet  is  placed,  and  one  on  the 
south,  through  which  entrance  is  made.  On  the  east 
and  west  sides  are  halls  in  which  the  mandarins  assem- 
ble on  the  occasions  when  state  worship  is  performed. 
The  usual  seasons  are  the  emperor's  birthday  and  the 


122  FAR  HENCE 

Chinese  New  Year,  and  also  when  an  emperor  is  mar- 
ried, but  special  services  may  be  commanded  at  other 
times.  The  whole  place  was  evidently  much  neglected, 
the  court  overgrown  with  grass  and  weeds,  and  the 
decorations  had  a  very  cheap  and  tawdry  effect. 
When  the  proper  time  arrives,  everything  will  be 
newly  furnished,  and  the  assembled  magnates  will 
prostrate  themselves  before  the  tablet  of  the  Son  of 
Heaven. 

Mounting  the  old  wall,  faced  with  stone  and  brick  and 
filled  in  with  earth,  with  a  width  of  from  fifteen  to 
twenty-five  feet,  we  proceeded  for  some  distance  along 
the  northeastern  side,  till  we  reached  the  five-storied 
tower  or  pagoda  on  the  highest  point  and  extreme 
north  of  the  city.  Ascending  to  the  upper  floor  a  fine 
view  of  the  entire  city  and  surrounding  country  spread 
out  before  us.  In  front  a  continuous  map  of  roofs  ex- 
tending for  miles,  with  no  apparent  divisions,  such  as 
the  broad  streets  of  a  Western  city  would  make. 
Behind  us  the  hills  were  literally  covered  with  graves, 
many  of  them  quite  pretentious,  among  which  could  be 
seen  rows  of  jars  containing  the  remains  of  long-buried 
dead — "  potted  ancestors,"  as  they  are  irreverently 
styled.  About  the  graves  were  many  parties  paying 
honors  to  the  departed,  laying  paper  and  setting  off  fire- 
works to  show  the  reverence  of  the  living  and  ease  the 
troubled  spirits  of  the  dead.  Having  refreshed  our- 
selves with  tea  and  native  cakes,  and  the  cool  air,  we 
descended  again  to  the  streets.  Winding  along  their 
narrow  and  crooked  course,  stopping  now  at  a  shop  and 
again  at  a  temple  or  pagoda,  we  found  ourselves,  in  mid- 
afternoon,  again  under  Dr.  Henry's  hospitable  roof. 
Whoever  wishes  to  get  much  information,  given  in  an  en- 
tertaining way,  let  him  get  hold  of  Dr.  Henry's  book, 
"The  Cross  and  the  Dragon,"  and  read  it  carefully.     It 


FAR    HENCE  123 

will  tell  him  far  more  than  I  can  hope  to  do  in  these 
rambling  letters. 

We  returned  to  the  steamer  in  one  of  the  riverboats  of 
which  I  have  spoken.  For  crew  we  had  a  stalwart 
boatman  in  the  bow,  vigorously  plying  the  oars,  and  in 
the  stern  a  woman,  evidently  his  wife,  handling  with 
equal  strength  and  dexterity  a  long  and  powerful  sweep 
with  which  she  at  the  same  time  steered  and  propelled 
the  little  craft,  her  means  of  livelihood  and  her  home. 
An  infant  of  not  many  months  was  slung  on  her  back, 
between  her  shoulders,  and  as  she  stepped  back  and 
forth  the  child's  head  kept  bobbing  violently  up  and 
down.  Occasionally  it  would  graze  the  canvas  matting, 
set  up  for  a  covering,  overhead.  It  seemed  as  though 
its  neck  must  be  dislocated  with  every  stroke  of  the  sweep. 
Yet  not  a  single  cry  escaped  its  lips,  and  it  bore  all  the 
shaking  with  true  Chinese  stolidity.  Much  practice  had, 
no  doubt,  made  it  perfect  in  patience. 

In  the  midst  of  these  strange  surroundings  in  this  far- 
off  land,  it  was  a  pleasure  to  recognize  our  kind  friends 
waving  their  farewells  from  their  verandah  which  over- 
looks the  river. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

MISSION    HOMES    AND    SCHOOLS    IN    CHINA. 

KoLONGSU,  Amoy,  April  26 
We  have  now  been  here  five  days,  having  left  Hong 
Kong  on  the  19th,  and  arrived  here  on  the  morning  of 
the  2ist.  Our  advent,  as  at  Hong  Kong,  was  made  in 
the  midst  of  thick  fog,  through  which  we  slowly  made 
our  way,  the  steam  whistle  constantly  blowing  at  inter- 
vals of  a  few  seconds,  and  answered  by  the  firing  of  guns 
from  the  different  lighthouses  as  we  passed.  The  use 
of  cannon  is  here  substituted  for  that  of  fog  horns  and 
bells  as  more  satisfactor3^  The  sound  is  certainly  less 
dismal  and  aggravating  than  that  of  the  horn,  beside 
being  periodic  instead  of  continuous,  thereby  having  the 
advantage. 

The  little  steamer  "  Fokien,"  of  only  500  tons,  brought 
us  in  safety,  but  gave  us  a  most  disagreeable  and 
thorough  shaking  up,  and  inside  out,  for  the  first  twelve 
hours.  No  sooner  had  we  emerged  from  the  smooth 
water  of  the  harbor,  through  the  narrow  Lymoon  pass, 
than  we  were  met  by  a  stiff  breeze  from  the  northeast, 
and  a  sea  that  rolled  in  heavily  from  the  Pacific.  The 
consequences  were  by  no  means  agreeable,  and  those 
who  had  successfully  braved  the  Atlantic  and  all  the 
other  seas  we  have  crossed  succumbed  to  this.  Early 
the  next  morning  we  found  ourselves  sailing  smoothly 
up  the  Han  River  to  Swatow.  This  is  an  open  port  and 
town  of  considerable  size,  specially  noted  for  the  manu- 
facture of  pewter  ware  and  a  peculiar  kind  of  fan.  Its 
trade  is  large,  as  evidenced  by  the  number  of  steamers 
and   native  boats  lying  at  anchor.     It  serves,  also,  as  a 


FAR  HENCE  125 

port  for  the  very  much  larger  city  of  Chow  Chow  Fuh, 
much  farther  up  the  river,  to  which  foreign  vessels  are 
not  allowed  to  proceed.  Cargoes  are  broken  here  and 
carried  up  to  the  larger  city  in  native  boats.  One  singu- 
lar article  is  brought  in  large  quantities  from  Shanghai — 
pressed  cakes  of  beans,  in  shape  not  unlike  a  thin  grind- 
stone or  dairy  cheese.  Whole  ship  loads  of  these  cakes 
were  being  discharged — to  be  sold  into  the  country, 
broken  up  and  used  as  a  fertilizer. 

Our  chief  interest  lay  with  the  Missions  here,  though 
we  were  able  to  visit  but  one  of  them,  that  of  the  Eng- 
lish Presbyterians  on  the  Swatow  side.  The  compound 
in  which  the  missionaries  live  is  on  the  -north  bank  of 
the  river,  a  half  mile,  perhaps,  below  the  city.  It  en- 
closes several  comfortable  residences,  with  pleasant 
grounds  about  them  —  shaded  with  trees  and  beautiful 
with  flowers — a  considerable  hospital,  thronged  with  pa- 
tients at  the  time  of  our  visit,  under  the  charge  of  Dr. 
Lyall,  and  schools  for  boys,  girls  and  women.  This  sta- 
tion is  the  centre  of  an  extensive  work,  reaching  a  wide 
field  in  the  interior,  and  extending  northward  till  it 
meets  the  work  carried  on  by  missionaries  of  the  same 
Church  from  Amoy.  We  were  most  cordially  received 
by  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Lyall,  Mr.  Maclagan,  Miss  Ricketts  and 
others  of  the  Mission,  were  shown  through  hospital  and 
schools,  and  thus  spent  some  pleasant  hours.  The  Amer- 
ican Baptists  have  their  station  nearly  opposite,  on  the 
south  bank  of  the  river,  which  is  here  a  mile  or  so  in 
width.  The  time  at  our  disposal  did  not  admit  of  a  visit 
to  them  also.  There  is  a  peculiar  heartiness  in  the  wel- 
come extended  by  missionaries  to  those  likeminded  with 
them,  which  is  worth  going  far  to  receive  and  is  a  de- 
privation to  lose. 

The  city  of  Amoy  lies  on  an  island  of  the  same  name 
which,  together   with   several  smaller  islands,  forms   an 


126  FAR  HENCE 

extensive  harbor  on  the  southern  coast  of  China,  oppo- 
site the  mouth  of  the  Lun  Kiang  or  Dragon  River,  or 
River  of  Nine  Dragons.  The  inner  harbor  is  formed  by 
the  island  of  Kolongsu  opposite  the  city,  making  an  ex- 
cellent land-locked  port  for  the  considerable  commerce 
centering  at  Amoy.  On  Kolongsu  the  missionaries  and 
other  foreign  residents  have  their  homes.  It  is  a  rocky 
island  of  very  irregular  surface  and  outline.  Numerous 
low  peaks  rise  from  it,  covered  with  singular  groups  of 
rocks  in  all  sorts  of  fantastic  shapes  and  a'rrangement 
(or  confusion),  and  crowded  with  the  dwellings  of  mis- 
sionaries, merchants, consuls  and  others.  Very  few  foreign 
residents  are  found  on  the  other,  or  city,  side  of  the  har- 
bor. The  distance  across  it  is  not  great,  while  the  freedom 
from  odors  and  noises  peculiar  to  a  Chinese  city  would 
be  worth  securing  by  a  much  greater  effort.  Seen  from 
the  water,  or  from  the  opposite  shore,  Kolongsu  presents 
a  very  attractive  appearance.  Scarcely  had  we  reached 
our  moorings  last  Thursday  morning,  when  we  observed 
two  harbor  boats,  or  sampans,  rapidly  pulling  toward  us 
from  Kolongsu.  Their  near  approach  disclosed  the  fa- 
miliar faces  of  nearly  every  able-bodied  member  of  the 
Mission.  What  smiling  faces  they  were  !  What  happy 
greetings  followed  on  deck  !  With  what  alacrity  we  sur- 
rendered ourselves  to  this  boarding  party,  and  accom- 
panied them  to  the  hospitable  homes  that  had  been  so 
long  waiting  for  us  ! 

A  nearer  acquaintance,  grown  more  perfect  in  the 
passage  of  several  days,  has  not  served  to  dispel  our 
pleasing  impressions  of  this  island  home.  The  Mission 
houses  are  admirably  placed  on  high  ground,  looking  off 
upon  the  water  to  the  west  and  south.  Though  quite 
elevated,  the  sound  of  the  waves  breaking  on  the  shore 
below  is  constantly  in  our  ears.  It  has  a  soothing,  cool- 
ing sound,   especially   in   the   hot,  breathless,  steaming 


FAR    HENCE  127 

nights  when  sleep  flees  from  one.  Most  of  the  houses 
are  sheltered  and  shaded  by  groups  of  trees,  banyan, 
mango,  pomelo  and  others,  and  the  enclosures  bright- 
ened and  made  fragrant  with  many  flowers.  Roses  and 
heliotrope,  etc.,  load  the  air  with  their  perfume  and  de- 
light the  eye  with  their  abundant  beauty.  Scattered 
over  the  island  are  groups  of  banyans,  or  single  trees  of 
immense  girth  and  widespreading  branches,  affording 
dense  and  extensive  shade.  In  the  valleys  and  on  the 
lower  slopes  are  several  Chinese  settlements  or  villages, 
which  are  gradually  encroaching  on  the  foreign  quarters, 
making  the  approach  to  some  of  them  anything  but 
agreeable  to  the  senses  of  sight  and  smell.  Fairly  good 
roads  and  paths  connect  the  different  residences  and 
settlements,  and  encircle  the  island,  making  fine  prome- 
nades at  evening  when  the  weather  and  temperature 
permit.  Every  nook  and  corner  capable  of  cultivation 
is  planted  with  rice  or  taro,  or  sw^eet  potato,  or  some 
other  article  of  food,  even  little  patches  and  terraces  in 
almost  inaccessible  spots  on  the  hillsides  being  made 
available  by  the  patient  industry  of  these  indefatigable 
Chinese  farmers  and  gardeners. 

Great  stretches  on  the  hills  and  among  the  rocks  are 
devoted  to  quite  another  sort  of  planting,  being  filled 
with  graves.  They  intrude  everywhere,  even  in  the 
midst  of  the  fields,  and  are  found  in  the  compounds  of 
foreign  residents.  They  are  regarded  with  superstitious 
reverence,  and  their  ubiquitous  presence  makes  the  pur- 
chase of  land  difficult,  and  often  impossible.  The  day 
of  our  arrival,  and  those  immediately  preceding  and  fol- 
lowing it,  were  sacred  to  the  memory  of  departed  ances- 
tors, and  the  graves,  all  over  the  island,  were  strewn 
with  paper,  representing  money,  clothing,  etc.,  deposited 
there  for  the  use  of  the  spirits  of  the  deceased.  They 
produced  a  singular  "  mussy  *'   and  shabby  effect,  which 


128  FAR  HENCE 

only  wind  and  weather  are  allowed  to  alter  or  remove. 

In  this  *' Jubilee  Year" — for  it  is  just  fifty  years  since 
David  Abeel  came  up  from  Macao  to  Amoy,  immediately 
after  the  close  of  the  great  war  and  the  opening  of  this 
port  to  foreign  residence  and  trade — it  has  been  inter- 
esting to  trace  the  beginnings  of  the  flourishing  mission- 
ary work  now  carried  on  here.  British  troops  then  held 
this  island,  and  Mr.  Abeel  established  his  house  upon  it, 
together  with  Mr.,  afterward  Bishop,  Boone,  and  a  Dr. 
Cummings,  and  here  began  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel. 
In  1844  he  was  joined  by  Doty  and  Pohlman  from 
Borneo,  where  they  had  been  laboring  among  the 
Chinese.  They  also  resided  here  for  a  time.  But  sick- 
ness broke  out  among  the  troops,  the  island  was  deemed 
unhealthy  and  not  fit  for  residence,  and  they  took  up 
their  abode  in  the  city  opposite.  The  houses  are  still 
standing,  though  in  a  somewhat  dilapidated  condition, 
just  on  the  water's  edge,  which  they  occupied.  Closely 
shut  in  on  every  side  but  the  water  by  Chinese  houses, 
with  a  jetty,  or  landing  place  for  boats,  at  the  foot,  and 
the  passage  leading  up  from  it  into  the  city  beneath  the 
verandah,  they  must  have  found  life  here  anything  but 
quiet  and  attractive.  Of  the  sights,  sounds  and  smells 
with  which  they  were  brought  into  close  and  constant 
contact  by  day  and  by  night  I  shall  speak  farther  on. 
A  mile  or  more  to  the  north  are  the  houses  built  and  oc- 
cupied by  Dr.  Talmage  and  Mr.  Rapalje  in  the  early 
days,  with  similar  surroundings,  and  not  having  the  ad- 
vantage of  looking  out  upon  the  water.  These  have 
since  been  incorporated  in  the  hospital  of  the  English 
Presbyterian  Mission,  now  presided  over  by  Dr.  Macleish, 
and  frequently  visited  by  the  Misses  Talmage  for  the 
purpose  of  conversation  with  the  patients,  and  their  in- 
struction in  the  Word  of  Life. 

To  the  inquiry,  where  did  David  Abeel   live  ?    no  one 


FAR   HENCE  129 

could  give  answer.  At  last  an  aged  disciple  was  found 
who  had  been  a  believer  more  than  forty  years,  had 
known  that  sainted  man  and  first  heard  the  Gospel  from 
his  lips.  Under  his  conduct  we  found  the  place  on 
Kolongsu.  A  regular  Chinese  house  of  the  better  class, 
but  little  altered  from  its  former  state,  it  stands  on  the 
edge  of  a  small  pond,  beneath  the  shade  of  an  immense 
widespreading  banyan,  which  then,  as  now,  covered  it 
with  its  protecting  branches.  The  old  lady  who  occupied 
it  would  not  let  us  in,  as  there  was  "  no  man  in  the  house." 
But  through  the  open  bars  of  the  gate  we  could  see  the 
house,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  little  court,  with  wide 
open  doors,  standing  just  as  it  did  in  those  early  days, 
inviting  entrance.  A  small  room,  on  either  side  of  the 
main  house,  was  used  for  bedroom  and  for  retirement. 
In  this  house,  our  conductor,  with  many  others,  first  heard 
the  Gospel  message.  It  seemed  a  hallowed  spot,  not- 
withstanding its  present  occupancy,  and  it  was  hard  to 
repress  the  wish  that  possession  might  in  some  way  be 
regained,  and  the  Gospel  again  heard  within  those  walls. 
Across  the  little  pond  the  house  was  pointed  out  where 
Bishop  Boone  lived,  and  another  where  they  were  ac- 
customed to  take  their  meals  together. 

The  expectation  of  our  coming  has  awakened  the  deep- 
est interest,  we  had  been  told,  among  the  Native  Churches 
— an  interest  which  began  to  manifest  itself  immediately 
on  our  arrival.  We  had  scarcely  found  domicile  with 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Dyck,  in  the  house  built  by  Dr.  Kip 
and  long  occupied  by  him,  when  a  deputation  was  an- 
nounced from  the  Second  Church  of  Amoy,  the  Church 
of  Tek-chu-ka,  as  it  is  called.  The  delegation  consisted 
of  the  pastor  and  several  prominent  members  and  officers 
of  the  church,  bearing  the  salutations  of  the  brethren  and 
an  earnest  invitation  to  visit  them.  It  was  also  intimated 
that  we  should  be  invited,  in  due  time,  to  partake  of  a 


I30  FAR  HENCE 

regular  Chinese  feast  to  be  had  in  honor  of  our  visit  and 
of  the  Jubilee  Year  of  missionary  work  at  Amoy.  Simi- 
lar deputations  and  invitations  have  been  pouring  in 
upon  us.  No  day  but  Sunday  has  been  without  them. 
The  pleasure  of  the  brethren  is  plain  to  be  seen,  and  our 
own  pleasure  in  meeting  them  no  less.  Here,  as  in 
India,  I  have  been  much  impressed  by  the  native  pastors 
as  a  body.  Their  open,  intelligent  countenances,  manly 
bearing,  courtesy  of  manner  and  evident  interest  in  their 
work  make  their  appearance  very  pleasing,  and  the  re- 
ports I  hear  of  many  of  them  confirm  the  impression. 
Some  of  them  would  be  men  of  mark  anywhere,  able,  I 
shDuld  judge,  to  hold  their  own  in  many  respects  with 
many  American  and  European  preachers  whose  advan- 
.tages  have  been  far  greater.  Nothing  would  give  me 
greater  satisfaction  than  to  be  able  to  present  some  of 
these  men  — with  those  in  India  of  whom  I  have  written, 
to  the  General  Synod  at  its  approaching  session,  as  illus- 
trations of  the  best  fruits  of  the  work  the  Church  has 
been  doing  in  these  Eastern  lands.  I  am  sure  that  the 
"  object  lesson  "  would  be  both  encouraging  and  inspiring. 
Kolongsu  is  not  only  the  place  of  residence  for  all  the 
missionaries  at  Amoy — our  own,  the  E.  P.'s  (English 
Presbyterian),  and  L.  M.  S.  (London  Missionary  Society) 
— but  has  also  the  training  institutions  maintained  by 
these  different  bodies.  The  advantages  of  such  an  ar- 
rangement are  considerable.  The  scholars  find  a  healthy 
location,  removed  from  the  evil  influences,  both  physical 
and  moral,  of  the  city,  while  the  missionaries  have  their 
work  close  at  hand,  and  their  students  under  their  own 
eye  and  easy  inspection.  Each  Mission  has  its  own  in- 
dependent school  for  girls  and  women.  Our  own  and 
the  E.  P.  are  united  in  the  education  of  boys  and  young 
men  in  the  Middle  and  Theological  Schools.  In 
this    department    the    London    Mission    is    still     inde- 


FAR  HENCE  131 

pendent,  and  likely   to   remain   so  for  various    reasons. 

It  was  a  happy  fortune,  or  Providence,  which  put  our 
Mission  in  possession  of  the  grounds  purchased  for  the 
Middle  School  through  the  funds  secured  by  Mr.  Pitcher 
two  years  ago.  They  crown  a  considerable  knoll,  almost 
in  the  centre  of  the  island,  and  the  building  now  upon 
them  is  quite  conspicuous  from  the  harbor  and  from 
many  points  on  the  island.  For  the  present,  and  until 
additional  means  can  be  secured  for  the  erection  of  a 
large  building  adapted  to  school  purposes  (sure  to  be 
needed  soon),  it  serves  the  use  to  which  it  is  now  put 
measurably  well.  When  the  new  building  is  obtained, 
with  moderate  changes  it  will  make  an  admirable  home 
for  the  teacher  who  may  have  special  charge  of  the 
School,  and  for  whose  advent  the  Mission  still  wait  and 
long  and  pray.  Is  there  no  man  in  the  Reformed 
Church,  of  normal  training,  experienced  in  teaching  and 
management  of  schools,  well  up  in  the  sciences,  whose 
love  for  Christ  and  the  souls  of  men  would  lead  him  to 
seek  such  a  field  of  usefulness  as  this  ?  A  more  impor- 
tant one  can  scarcely  be  found  anywhere,  though  its 
pecuniary  rewards  offer  little  attraction  to  a  man  so 
qualified.  His  reward  will  be  on  high,  in  souls  saved 
and  characters  moulded  into  Christian  excellence  and 
beauty,  and  within,  in  the  satisfaction  of  helping  to  train 
the  minds  and  develop  and  inspire  the  lives  of  the  men 
who  are  to  be  largely  the  instruments  in  seeking  to 
turn  the  millions  in  this  part  of  China  to  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

The  Theological  School  has  a  fine  new  building  of  its 
own,  half  a  mile  distant  from  the  Mission  School,  erected 
by  the  E.  P.  Mission,  and  is  presided  over  by  Mr. 
Thompson,  of  that  Mission,  Mr.  Fagg  having  part  in  the 
instruction.  A  fine  and  promising  band  of  young  men, 
representing  both  Missions,  are  gathered  here  in  prep- 


132  FAR  HENCE 

aration  for  the  work  of  the  ministry.  In  the  Middle 
School  there  are  at  present  about  thirty  boys.  A  goodly 
number  of  these  are  Christian  boys,  and  some  of  them 
are  looking  forward,  and  on  the  way,  to  the  Theological 
School.  It  was  a  great  pleasure,  the  day  after  our 
arrival,  to  visit  both  these  schools  and  address  to  them 
a  few  appropriate  words. 

The  house  erected  by  Dr.  Talmage,  and  long  occupied 
by  him,  is  now  the  home  of  his  daughters,  as  well  as  of 
the  two  young  ladies,  Misses  Cappon  and  Zwemer,  who 
arrived  last  fall.  At  only  a  short  remove  from  Dr. 
Kip's,  its  situation  is  about  equally  desirable,  and 
both  are  easily  visible  by  one  entering  the  harbor.  It 
contains  within  the  walls  of  the  compound  the  Girls* 
School,  the  Woman's  School  and  the  old  building  for- 
merly occupied  by  the  Middle  School.  The  ground  de- 
scends so  abruptly  that  each  stands  on  a  different  level,  no 
one  encroaching  on  or  interfering  with  any  other,  yet 
all  within  convenient  compass  and  easy  reach.  Ascend- 
ing from  the  foot  of  the  hill,  we  come  first  to  the 
Woman's  School,  where  a  constantly  varying  number  of 
women  and  a  few  girls  are  gathered  for  a  few  months' 
instruction.  A  stay  of  a  few  weeks,  even,  is  sufficient  to 
enable  the  more  intelligent  of  them  to  read  the  Script- 
ures in  the  Romanized  colloquial,  while  reading  in  the 
character  would  have  been  forever  impossible.  In  this 
and  multitudes  of  ways  this  method  of  printing  the  col- 
loquial dialect  proves  of  inestimable  advantage  to  the 
work  of 'the  Mission.  Old  women  and  young  girls  vie 
with  each  other  in  learning  to  read,  and  it  was  not  easy 
to  say  which  read  with  the  greater  freedom. 

A  flight  of  stone  steps  leads  up  to  the  Girls'  School, 
an  object  of  interest  to  so  many,  young  and  old,  in  the 
home  land.  The  building  is  good,  but  not  nearly  large 
enough    for    the    best    arrangement  of   the   school.       It 


FAR    HENCE  133 

should  some  day,  and  that  not  distant,  be  considerably 
enlarged,  or  another  and  larger  substituted  for  it.  There 
is  not  room  enough  properly  to  provide  for  the  forty- 
seven  girls  now  in  attendance,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
possibility  of  future  growth.  I  wish  the  friends  at  home 
could  have  seen  the  bright  and  happy  faces  of  these  girls 
as  we  saw  them,  and  hear  their  recitations  and  songs  as 
we  heard  them.  Their  practice  under  the  Tonic-sol-fa 
system,  in  which  they  have  been  drilled  by  Mrs.  Kip  and 
Mrs.  Fagg,  and  under  Mrs.  F.'s  conduct,  was  very 
creditable.  No  wonder  they  seemed  bright  and  happy, 
for  the  days  spent  here  are  among  the  happiest  they  are 
ever  likely  to  see.  Yet  all  their  future  will  be  the  brighter 
by  reason  of  the  influence  here  exerted  over  them,  and 
the  lessons  and  training  here  received.  Those  who  are 
best  qualified  to  judge  tell  me,  what  I  am  quite  ready  to 
believe,  that  it  is  easy  to  recognize  in  distant  parts  of 
the  field,  in  town  and  village,  the  women  who,  as  girls, 
have  had  their  training  in  this  School.  The  influence  of 
such  women  in  a  heathen  neighborhood  cannot  be 
slight,  and  must  be  blessed.  I  will  reserve  Amoy  city 
and  island  for  another  letter. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

UP    THE    LUN    RIVER    BY    SAIL    AND    POLE. 

Sio-Khe,  April  30 
Since  my  last  date  we  have  made  a  trip  to  Sio-Khe, 
and  thus  fulfilled  one  of  the  strongest  desires  I  had  in 
coming  to  China.  When  the  accounts  of  troubles  in  the 
North  reached  us,  I  began  to  fear  that  the  country  about 
Amoy  might  be  so  disturbed  as  to  render  such  a  tour 
inexpedient  or  impossible.  I  find,  however,  that  in  this 
part  of  the  Province  of  Fokien  there  has  been  no  dis- 
turbance whatever  on  the  part  of  the  people,  and  no 
uneasiness  on  the  part  of  the  missionaries.  They  have 
travelled  as  freely  as  ever,  equally  without  molestation 
and  without  apprehension  of  evil.  There  seems  to  have 
been  no  change  in  the  feeling  of  the  people  towards  them, 
which  is  generally  kindly,  and,  at  the  worst,  curious  or 
indifferent.  Indeed,  our  brethren  were  quite  amused  by 
the  letter  of  Consul  Bedloe  in  regard  to  their  heroic 
conduct.  They  were  not  aware  of  any  emergency  re- 
quiring such  a  display  of  heroism  as  was  therein  ascribed 
to  them.  At  the  same  time,  should  such  an  emergency 
arise,  I  have  no  doubt  it  would  be  met  courageously  by 
every  one  of  them. 

To  make  the  trip  proposed  it  is  necessary  to  prepare 
and  carry  bedding,  cooking  utensils  and  food, there  being 
no  provision  of  such  things  by  the  way.  To  be  sure, 
there  are  Chinese  inns  or  hotels  to  be  found.  But  the 
accounts  received  of  these  were  by  no  means  inviting. 
Our  missionaries  never  use  them  when  it  is  possible  to 
avoid  it.  As  this  trip  is  made  altogether  in  boats,  it  was 
not  necessary  in  this  case.     Having,  happily,  had  no  ex- 


FAR    HENCE  1 35 

perience  of  the  hotels,  I   will   venture  on  no  description 
of  them. 

The  first  twenty  miles  of  the  journey  were  made  in  the 
*' Gospel  Boat,"  a  large  sail  boat — or  small  sloop — of  per- 
haps ten  tons,  with  a  cabin  accommodating  comfortably 
two  persons  with  their  goods,  and,  on  a  pinch,  making 
room  for  four.  •  This  boat  is  used  for  all  preaching  ex- 
cursions in  the  harbor,  and  to  points  within  twenty  miles 
of  Amoy.  In  consequence  of  the  great  rise  and  fall  of 
the  tide — from  fifteen  to  eighteen  feet — and  the  strong 
current,  it  is  necessary  to  take  advantage  of  the  tide^ 
going  up  with  the  flood  and  returning  with  the  ebb. 
This  makes  it  very  inconvenient  often,  and  occasions 
much  delay.  Progress  in  any  event  is  generally  slow, 
and  much  valuable  time  is  consumed.  I  could  not  but 
feel,  and  say,  that  a  steam,  or  naphtha,  launch  would  be 
a  great  advantage  to  the  brethren  and  to  their  work.  To 
my  surprise  I  found  that  the  use  of  such  launches  is  for- 
bidden to  foreigners.  Some  years  ago  the  E.  P.  Mission 
had  a  steam  launch,  and  were  using  it  to  great  advan- 
tage, no  Chinese  questioning  their  right  so  to  do.  But 
there  happened  to  be  a  foreign  gentleman  (?)  residing 
here  who  had  an  antipathy  to  missionaries.  He  com- 
plained to  the  authorities  that  these  missionaries  were 
violating  the  treaty  in  making  use  of  steam.  It  proved 
to  be  a  fact  that  steam  was  not  allowed  by  treaty.  He 
professed  to  show,  and  the  authorities  to  see,  that  its 
use  by  foreigners  was  a  menace  either  to  the  trade  or  the 
safety  of  the  Empire,  and  the  result  was  the  suppression 
of  the  harmless  little  craft  and  an  interdict  on  all  others. 
By  a  sort  of  poetical  justice  the  interdict  was  probably 
made  more  comprehensive  than  the  originator  designed, 
and  made  to  apply  to  all  foreigners,  consuls,  merchants 
and  others,  as  well  as  missionaries.  The  restriction  is 
felt  to  be  burdensome,  but  there  seems  no  possibility  of 


136  FAR    HENCE 

its  removal  without  a  change  in  the  treaties.  So  much 
harm  one  evil-disposed  person  has  it  in  his  power  some- 
times to  do.     We  did  not  bless  him. 

The  state  of  the  tide  required  that  we  should  go  on 
board  in  the  evening,  just  as  the  flood  began,  so  that  we 
might  have  the  full  benefit  of  it  as  far  as  Chioh-be,  about 
twenty  miles  from  Amoy.  The  evening  was  mild  and 
clear,  with' a  gentle  favoring  breeze.  We  sat  on  deck 
and  watched  the  sun  go  down,  the  stars  come  out — Jupiter 
in  full  glory  casting  a  beam  of  light  across  the  water — 
the  shadows  deepening  on  the  river  and  the  hills  that 
shut  it  in  on  either  side,  till  Chioh-be  was  reached  at  10 
P.M.  There  it  was  necessary  to  change  from  the  "  Gospel 
Boat  "  to  one  of  lighter  draft.  For  this  we  waited  till 
morning,  sleeping  quietly  in  the  midst  of  a  swarm  of 
Chinese  boats.  Rising  early,  and  taking  an  early  break- 
fast, we  went  on  shore. 

Chioh-be  is  an  out-station  of  our  Mission,  having  a 
neat  chapel,  which  is  too  small  and  otherwise  incon- 
venient for  the  congregation,  but  now  in  process  of 
alteration  and  enlargement.  The  town  was  visited  by 
David  Abeel  fifty  years  ago,  and  its  horribly  dirty  con- 
dition was  dwelt  upon  in  his  diary.  It  has  not  changed 
for  the  better  since.  The  odors  were  ineffable — the  filth 
indescribable.  One  wonders  how  life  can  be  supported 
and  health  maintained  in  the  midst  of  such  abomina- 
tions as  would  produce  a  pestilence  and  a  panic  in  any 
American  or  European  city.  Each  street  leading  up 
from  the  river  is  a  sewer,  covered  with  granite  blocks, 
with  a  space  between  them,  into  which  the  water  runs 
freely  when  it  rains,  and  out  of  which  the  most  potent 
odors  exhale.  Parallel  with  the  river,  at  a  distance  of 
about  an  eighth  of  a  mile,  runs — or  rather  stagnates — a 
wide,  open  sewer,  filled  with  a  dense,  reeking,  black  fluid 
mass.     On  either  side  of  it  is  a  narrow  walk,  lined  with 


FAR  HENCE  137 

shops.  Business  and  traffic  goes  on,  and  the  people  pass 
and  repass,  or  stand  in  knots  and  groups,  apparently 
utterly  oblivious  of  the  foul  nuisance  under  their  very 
noses.  Piles  of  rubbish  and  garbage  are  heaped  up  in 
every  convenient  corner  of  the  narrow  streets,  and  other 
offences  which  cannot  be  mentioned  here  cry  to  heaven. 
Their  offence  is  rank. 

Crossing  this  ditch,  and  proceeding  some  little  dis- 
tance further  through  this  carnival  of  dirt,  we  made  our 
way  to  the  chapel.  This  is  a  native  house  arranged  for 
the  purposes  of  Christian  worship,  the  main  room  being 
the  audience  room  for  men,  while  a  smaller,  in  the  rear 
of  the  pulpit,  and  cut  off  by  a  high  screen,  is  set  apart 
for  the  women.  One  could  not  but  pity  them,  thus  shut 
up  in  a  pen,  and  able  only  to  see  the  preacher's  back. 
The  pastor  was  absent,  but  we  found  an  elder  and  a  few 
members  just  making  ready  to  visit  us  on  the  boat.  They 
gave  us  a  hearty  welcome  and  accompanied  us  to  the 
old  city  or  fort.  In  every  Chinese  city  there  is  such  an 
enclosure,  with  high  walls,  and  filled  with  houses, 
marking  the  original  town,  though  often,  as  here, 
outgrown  many  times  by  the  houses  which  sur- 
round it. 

The  walls  of  the  fort  were  of  stone,  about  twenty  feet 
in  height,  and  ten  to  twelve  feet  thick,  filled  in  with  earth. 
Great  banyan  trees  had  taken  root  in  the  soil  on  the 
walls  and  in  the  crevices  between  the  stones,  and,  reach- 
ing down  for  moisture  and  nourishment  had  completely 
encased  great  portions  of  the  surface  of  the  outer  wall 
from  top  to  bottom.  On  one  corner  there  had 
evidently  been  a  tower  of  brick.  The  roots  of  these 
trees  had  so  interpenetrated  the  walls  and  interlaced 
themselves  that,  though  the  bricks  had  almost  entirely 
disappeared,  the  tower  still  remained,  an  almost 
perfect  square  wrought  by  nature  out  of  banyan  roots. 


138  FAR  HENCE 

The  effect  was  most  surprising  and  altogether  unique. 
Our  friends  attended  us  to  the  river,  as  did  also  a 
wondering,  chattering  crowd  who  had  followed  us  to  the 
fort.  Transferring  our  goods  to  the  "  River  boat,"  we 
bade  them  farewell,  promising  to  stop  and  meet  the 
people  on  our  return,  and  proceeded  on  our  way,  thirteen 
miles  further,  to  Chiang  Chiu.  The  breeze  was  light 
but  favorable,  so  that  the  long  rectangular  sail  of  grass 
matting  was  hoisted.  But  the  current  was  strong,  and 
oars  and  poles  were  plied  constantly  beside.  The  sky 
was  bright  and  the  air  delightfully  cool  and  fresh.  Great 
numbers  of  boats  were  going  up  or  coming  down,  some 
loaded  with  merchandise  of  various  sorts,  and  some  filled 
with  passengers,  to  whom  our  appearance  afforded  an 
occasion  of  interest  and  merriment.  Their  heads  were 
stretched  out  to  get  as  near  and  long  a  view  as  possible 
of  the  foreigners,  and  witticisms  were  evidently  exchanged 
at  our  expense. 

I  was  not  at  all  prepared  to  find  the  scenery  in  this 
part  of  China  so  beautiful.  The  plains  stretching  away 
on  either  side  were  clothed  with  flourishing  crops  of  rice 
and  other  vegetation.  The  banks  were  dotted,  and 
sometimes  lined,  with  clumps  of  graceful  feathery  bam- 
boos or  spreading  banyans.  At  short  intervals  we  passed 
village  after  village,  their  white  walls  gleaming  through 
the  thick  shade  of  trees,  many  of  them  in  most  attractive 
locations,  and,  at  a  little  distance,  inviting  in  appear- 
ance. On  either  hand  rose  hills,  wooded,  or  terraced 
and  cultivated  to  the  very  summit,  and  still  beyond 
them,  blue  and  hazy  in  the  distance,  ranges  of  glorious 
mountains,  with  pyramids  and  jagged  peaks. 

About  four  hours  brought  us  to  Chiang  Chiu,  a  large 
city  of  more  than  150,000  inhabitants.  There  is  a  church 
here,  with  a  small  additional  chapel,  on  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal streets,  and  on  the  court    a   preacher's  house  and 


FAR  HENCE  139 

also  several  rooms  for  the  accommodation  of  mission- 
aries on  their  visits.  These  rooms  were  originally  fitted 
up  for  the  occupancy  of  Mr.  Fagg,  who  was  stationed 
here  for  some  months.  It  has  for  many  years  been  the 
earnest  desire  of  the  Mission  that  this  city  should  be 
occupied  permanently  as  a  station  by  at  least  one  mis- 
sionary and  a  single  lady  to  work  for  girls  and  women. 
The  London  Mission  have  two  families  here,  with  houses 
on  the  lower  or  eastern  side,  and  a  hospital  under  the 
care  of  Dr.  Fahmy.  But  the  city  is  large — quite  large 
enough  for  another  station,  without  any  interference  of 
one  uath  the  other,  and  is,  beside,  the  centre  of  an  im- 
portant region  where  we  have  a  growing  work.  This 
work  might  be  greatly  extended  were  a  missionary  fam- 
ily permanently  resident.  The  plains  contain  a  multi- 
tude of  thriving  villages,  many  of  them  larger  than  Sio- 
Khe.  The  city  itself,  formerly  of  much  larger  size,  was 
greatly  damaged  by  the  Taiping  rebellion — the  long- 
haired rebels,  as  they  were  called — in  1865-6.  But  it  is 
now  beginning  to  recover,  and  rapidly  increasing  in 
population  and  importance.  After  meeting  the  brethren 
in  the  church  and  exchanging  salutations  with  them,  and 
offering  a  few  words  of  Christian  counsel  and  encourage- 
ment, I  climbed  with  Mr.  Rapalje  and  Dr.  Kip  the  hill 
which  overlooks  the  town.  We  looked  down  upon  the 
city,  a  compact  mass  of  houses  stretching  far  away,  only 
a  small  portion  of  it  enclosed  within  the  walls.  A  half- 
hour's  chair  ride  through  it  served  also  to  show  its  size 
and  great  population.  Outside  of  it  a  wide  plain,  with 
wave  on  wave  of  verdant  foliage,  screening  and  shelter- 
ing innumerable  villages  of  active,  industrious  people. 
There  could  be,  and  there  is,  no  question  in  my  mind 
that  here  is  a  most  desirable  spot  to  plant  a  mission  sta- 
tion. All  that  is  needed  for  it  is  a  house  and  a  family. 
Will  the  Church  provide   them  ?     The  church  here,  and 


I40  FAR  HENCE 

this   teeming   population,  have    waited    long   for   them. 
They  should  wait  no  longer. 

Above  Chiang  Chiu  the  river  becomes  tortuous  and 
shallow.  The  boat  in  which  we  had  come  thiis  far  could 
not  ascend  further,  and  we  had,  therefore,  to  change  to 
still  another,  of  exceedingly  light  draft  and  peculiar  con- 
struction. A  picturesque  bridge,  with  stone  piers  and 
many  spans,  and  shops  on  either  side,  crosses  the  river 
at  Chiang  Chiu.  One  of  the  piers  stands  on  a  small 
island  crowded  with  houses.  On  this  island  we  found 
the  up-river  boat  waiting  for  us  in  the  early  morning. 
A  long,  shallow,  flat-bottomed  affair  it  was,  with  round- 
ing sides  and  narrowing  toward  either  end,  but  with 
blunt  bow  and  stern.  Over  it  was  a  rounded  covering 
of  palm-leaf  matting  on  bamboo  frame,  made  in  sections 
and  telescoped,  one  section  within  another.  These  could 
be  drawn  out  till  the  whole  length  was  thus  covered  and 
protected  from  sun  or  rain.  Except  at  night,  however, 
the  foremost  and  rear  sections  were  not  drawn,  thus 
leaving  a  portion  of  open  deck  at  either  end.  The  first 
thing  after  going  on  board  was  to  take  off  our  shoes  ! 
However  dirty  the  Chinese  houses  may  be — and  their 
dirtiness  is  unspeakable — the  boats  are  scrupulously 
clean.  The  next  thing  was  to  look  about  us,  and  this 
had  to  be  done  from  a  sitting  posture,  as  it  was  impossi- 
ble to  stand  erect  beneath  the  covering.  The  boat  was 
commanded  by  a  vigorous  old  woman,  seventy-two  years 
of  age,  as  she  informed  us  !  For  crew  there  were  her 
daughter,  son-in-law  and  a  hired  hand.  The  daughter's 
children,  four  in  number,  composed  part  of  the  company, 
for  this  was  their  only  home.  All  the  conveniences  of 
home  were  there  also— a  little  furnace  for  cooking,  the 
smoke  from  which,  drifting  sternward,  almost  blinded 
us  when  the  family  meals  were  being  prepared,  sundry 
pots  and  kettles,  baskets  and  beds.     Nor  was  this  all,  for 


FAR  HENCE  141 

lifting  up  one  of  the  deck  planks  forward  disclosed  a 
litter  of  rabbits,  and  still  another,  the  inevitable  family 
pig  !  Every  Chinese  house  has  one  or  more — why  not 
the  house  boat  ?  There  he  lay  under  the  deck,  from  day- 
light till  dark,  scarcely  uttering  a  sound,  and  only  rising 
when  the  plank  was  lifted  that  he  might  be  fed.  That 
the  home  might  not  want  adornment,  two  or  three  pieces 
of  red  paper,  printed  in  Chinese  character,  were  pasted 
against  the  palm-leaf  walls,  and  two  or  three  potted 
plants  reposed  securely  on  a  shelf  in  the  bow.  The 
Chinese  are  great  lovers  of  flowers,  and  of  the  numerous 
boats  we  passed  scarcely  one  lacked  the  pots  and  plants* 

Thus  equipped  we  started  off  at  six.  Our  method  of 
progression  was  by  poling.  All  four  hands  took  part  in 
it,  and  kept  it  up,  with  brief  intermission  for  rest  and 
food  by  each  in  turn,  for  sixteen  hours,  for  it  was  ten 
o'clock  in  the  evening  when  we  tied  up  for  the  night  at 
Soa  Sia,  having  laboriously  accomplished  eighteen  miles  ! 
It  seemed  impossible  that  human  muscles — to  say  noth- 
ing of  women's — could  hold  out  so  long.  Yet  this  is  their 
life,  and  probably  it  was  an  easy  day  for  them,  as  the  boat 
was  light. 

The  city  stretches  for  some  distance  along  the  north  bank 
of  the  river.  Troops  of  boats  were  coming  and  going,  with 
loads  of  people  or  merchandise,  crockery,  wood,  bricks, 
country  produce,  what  not  ?  The  river  bed  was  wide 
and  winding,  and  the  shallow  channel  wound  again  from 
side  to  side  within  it — like  a  snake  within  a  snake — and 
frequent  shallows  caused  many  stoppages,  with  many 
shouts  and  groans.  Often  a  dozen  boats  would  be  stranded 
together.  The  boatmen,  habited  in  the  scanty  costume 
which  Chinese  laborers  of  all  classes  so  much  affect,  find- 
ing all  efforts  with  the  poles  utterly  useless,  jumped  over- 
board, and,  putting  their  shoulders  to  the  work,  fairly 
lifted   the   boat    off    and   sent    her  forward  into  deeper 


142  FAR  HENCE 

water.  Over  and  over  again,  during  tliis  and  the  follow- 
ing day,  was  this  expedient  resorted  to.  From  all  this 
it  will  be  readily  believed  that  poling  up  a  Chinese  river 
is  no  easy  matter — for  the  polers. 

The  rivers  are  the  great  highways  of  China.  Of  roads, 
properly  speaking,  they  have  none.  The  best,  in  these 
parts  at  least,  are  only  a  few  feet  wide,  paved  sometimes 
with  jagged  stones.  Most  of  them  are  simple  ridges 
winding  in  and  out  among  the  fields.  Transportation 
over  them  is  done  exclusively  on  the  shoulders  of  men, 
at  least  in  Southern  China,  and  such  a  thing  as  a  wheeled 
vehicle  is  not  to  be  seen  anywhere,  or  a  beast  of  burden. 
Hence,  the  value  of  the  boat  and  the  river.  Hence,  also, 
no  doubt,  the  numbers  of  people  who  find  their  living 
and  make  their  homes  on  the  water. 

The  scenery  through  which  we  passed  was  not  less  in- 
teresting and  charming  than  the  day  before.  High 
mountain  ranges  appeared  on  either  hand,  sometimes  at 
a  distance,  and  sometimes  closing  in  upon  the  river  which 
wound  its  way  between  them.  Peculiar  low  hills  ap- 
peared, conical  or  pyramidal,  terraced  to  the  very  top, 
each  terrace  affording  space  for  cultivation.  Here  and 
there  a  temple,  nestling  amid  shady  groves,  was  perched 
on  the  hillsides.  Large  round  and  square  towers,  with 
strong  walls,  refuges  of  different  clans  in  troublous  times, 
stood  half-ruined  and  falling  to  decay.  A  changing  but 
ever  beautiful  panorama  of  villages  and  verdure  unrolled 
itself  on  either  side.  The  day  was  clear  and  bright  after 
the  clouds  of  the  early  morning  had  lifted.  Toward  noon 
a  favoring  breeze  sprang  up,  and  a  tall  mast  was  quickly 
lifted,  on  which  was  raised  the  high  square-cut  sail. 
Looking  across  the  bends  in  the  river,  long  processions 
of  these  sails  could  be  seen  above  and  below,  looking 
like  "  an  army  with  banners."  Hour  after  hour  passed. 
The  evening  shadows  came.  The  mountains  hung  above 


FAR    HENCE  143 

us  dark  and  frowning.  The  boatmen  seemed  to  feel 
their  influence,  and  their  cries  were  hushed.  Scarcely  a 
sound  was  heard  but  the  plashing  of  the  poles,  the  rush- 
ing of  the  rapids,  and  the  cries  of  night  birds.  At  last  a 
welcome  light  was  seen,  and  we  drew  up  to  the  landing 
at  Soa  Sia,  wearied  with  the  long  journey,  and  glad  in 
the  hope  of  rest.  Amid  the  barking  of  many  dogs,  and 
the  scrutiny  of  the  few  villagers  who  happened  to  be 
abroad,  we  made  our  way  to  the  chapel  and  found  en- 
trance and  welcome  and  a  good  night's  rest. 

The  Mission  premises  at  Soa  Sia  consist  of  a  commo- 
dious chapel,  preacher's  house,  and  rooms  for  visiting 
missionaries,  surrounding  a  court  with  a  high  wall,  and 
all  substantially  built  of  brick.  All  these  are  the  result 
of  a  legacy  bequeathed  to  Dr.  Kip  by  a  trusted  serving 
woman,  for  many  years  in  the  family  of  a  near  relative. 
She,  doubtless,  had  and  could  have  but  little  comprehen- 
sion of  the  good  that  should  flow  from  her  gift  of  faith 
and  love.  In  the  early  morning  we  met  the  brethren  of 
the  church,  immediately  after  breakfast,  and  then  pro- 
ceeded on  our  way.  I  believe  the  meaning  of  Soa  Sia 
is  Mountain  City,  and  certainly  it  is  rightly  named.  Its 
mountain  environment,  dimly  seen  by  night,  was  clearly 
revealed  by  daylight.  In  the  darkness  we  had  left  the 
main  river  and  toiled  for  several  hours  up  a  smaller  trib- 
utary stream.  It  had  led  us  into  a  mountain  valley, 
rugged  yet  beautiful.  In  the  early  morning  clouds  hung 
thick  upon  their  summits,  but  were  soon  eaten  up  by 
the  warm  sun.  Then  the  mountains  stood  out  in  bold 
relief  against  the  clear  sky.  Slipping  easily  down  stream, 
with  rudder,  oar  and  pole  all  plying,  we  reached  the 
river  in  less  than  half  the  time  occupied  in  the  ascent. 
Then  began  the  old  toil  of  poling  up  against  the  current 
and  over  the  shallows,  the  wind  this  time  drawing  ahead 
and  makinsf  our  sail  useless.     As  we  went  on  the  shallows 


144  ^AR    HENCE 

became  more  frequent  and  the  toil  increased.  The  boat- 
men struggled  mightily  with  their  poles.  One  in  par- 
ticular would  brace  his  feet  against  a  stiff  plank  lying 
athwart  the  boat,  throw  his  whole  weight  upon  the  pole, 
and  push  until  he  lay  almost  flat  on  his  back  upon  the 
deck,  at  the  same  time  uttering  a  prolonged  and  dismal 
groan  that  would  have  done  credit  to  a  case  of  billions 
colic  or  a  guilty  conscience.  Frequently  we  came  upon 
little  groups  of  water  buffaloes,  wallowing  in  the  shal- 
lows or  lying  in  deeper  water  with  nothing  but  their  ugly 
heads  exposed.  Boys  in  large  round  hats  with  pointed 
top  stood  guard  over  them,  or  splashed  them  with  water, 
to  their  evident  and  intense  delight. 

About  five  o'clock  we  reached  a  little  village,  Toa-lo- 
teng,  six  miles  from  this  place,  where  a  house  has  been 
secured  for  a  chapel.  Here  our  long  boat  ride  ended. 
Dr.  Otte  met  us  with  warm  greeting,  and  we  took  our 
places,  for  the  rest  of  the  way,  in  the  sedan  chairs  he 
had  provided.  Lifted  up  on  stalwart  shoulders,  and 
emerging  from  the  village,  the  full  beauty  of  the  valley 
burst  upon  us  like  a  revelation.  An  emerald  sea  of  rice 
stretched  away  till  it  broke  upon  the  foot  of  the  environ- 
ing hills.  Islands  of  deeper  green — groves  of  bamboos, 
banyans  and  other  trees — enclosing  numerous  villages, 
dotted  its  bosom,  and  beyond,  on  every  side,  before,  be- 
hind, the  encompassing  mountains  on  which  the  shadows 
of  evening  were  beginning  to  fall.  The  shadows  deep- 
ened, and  darkness  was  settling  down  when  we  reached 
this  place  and  were  at  our  journey's  end,  having  come 
sixty-eight  miles  in  three  days  and  three  nights  !  Be- 
neath the  folds  of  "Old  Glory"  waving  in  the  breeze, 
and  with  sound  of  firecrackers,  we  were  welcomed  to  this 
inland  home. 


NEERBOSCH   HOSPITAL,  SIO-KHE,  CHINA. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

HOMES,    HOSPITAL    AND    HOSPITALITY    AT    SIO-KHE. 

KoLONGSU,  Amoy,  May  5 
We  spent  nearly  four — three  full — days  at  Sio-Khe,  in 
the  delightful  society  of  Drs.  Kip  and  Otte  and  their 
families.  From  the  frequency  and  prominence  with 
which  its  name  has  been  brought  before  the  Church,  it 
might  be  thought  that  Sio-Khe  is  a  large  town.  It  is  not. 
Rather,  it  is  a  large  village  of  some  5,000  or  6,000  in- 
habitants. Its  value  as  a  Mission  Station  lies  in  the  fact 
that  it  is  a  convenient  centre  of  operations,  from  which 
to  reach  the  population  of  this  and  contiguous  valleys. 
These  embrace  a  large  number  of  villages.  Through 
evangelistic  efforts  and  the  influence  of  the  Neerbosch 
Hospital,  the  truth  is  making  its  way  among  them. 

Our  first  visit  was  paid  to  the  hospital  on  the  morning 
after  our  arrival.  It  adjoins  Dr.  Otte's  house,  from 
which  its  court  is  separated  by  a  wall,  and  is  of  two 
stories,  built  of  brick  and  roofed  with  tile,  as  are  all 
buildings  here.  On  the  ground  floor  are  the  receiving 
and  waiting  room  for  patients,  the  chapel,  dispensing 
room  and  dining-room,  all  opening  out  of  the  Doctor's 
office  in  which  he  sees  his  patients.  The  arrangement 
is  ingenious  and  convenient.  Besides  these  the  ground 
floor  has  also  a  woman's  ward.  Other  wards  and  rooms 
for  the  Doctor's  students,  are  on  the  second  floor.  The 
wards  were  furnished  partly  with  wooden  beds  after  the 
Chinese  pattern,  and  partly  with  neat  iron  bedsteads. 
The  latter  are  so  much  easier  to  keep  clean  and  sweet 
that  the  Doctor  intends  to  use  them  throughout,  as  soon 
as  a  full  supply  can  be  obtained.     At  the  extreme  south 


146  FAR    HENCE 

end  is  the  Opium  Refuge,  where  one  wretched  man  was 
undergoing  treatment  for  relief  from  the  terrible  opium 
habit.  In  his  desire  for  a  speedy  cure,  he  had  taken  in 
one  dose  the  medicine  prepared  for  three  days.  It  was 
pitiful  to  hear  him  plead  for  more.  This  refuge  was 
built  in  great  part  by  the  aid  of  the  civil  mandarin  of  the 
place,  who  has  shown  great  interest  in  the  hospital  and 
its  chief. 

The  scrupulous  cleanliness  which  prevailed  throughout 
was  quite  refreshing,  and  quite  different  from  the  con- 
dition of  other  hospitals  I  have  seen  in  China.  In  most 
of  them  the  patients  provide  their  own  food,  and  cook  it 
themselves,  in  their  own  way.  Utterly  unused  to  clean- 
liness at  home,  they  cannot  be  taught  it  here,  when  cook- 
ing and  eating  are  concerned.  To  obviate  this  difficulty, 
all  food  is  provided  by  the  hospital,  for  which  a  charge 
of  a  few  cents  a  day  is  made,  simply  to  cover  the  cost. 
The  result  has  been  all  that  could  be  expected,  though 
the  attendance  was  diminished  for  a  time. 

The  seven  students  under  Dr.  Otte's  care  and  instruc- 
tion are  an  interesting  band  of  young  men,  all  of  them 
Christians.  Their  countenances  are  bright  and  intelli- 
gent, their  manners  pleasing,  and  their  spirit  earnest, 
manly  and  Christian.  The  doctor  is  very  fond  and — 
shall  I  say? — proud  of  them,  and  with  justice  it  seemed 
to  me.  If  they  retain  their  Christian  principle  and  pur- 
pose they  cannot  but  prove  valuable  helpers  in  days  to 
come.  At  the  time  of  our  visit  there  were  not  so  many 
patients  as  usual.  The  season  is  an  unusually  busy  one, 
and  "everything  that  has  hands  and  feet  is  in  the  rice 
fields."  In  a  few  days,  however,  this  pressure  will  be 
lightened  ;  people  will  have  time  to  attend  to  their  ail- 
ments, and  the  wards  fill  up.  The  difficulties  of  medical 
practice  are  immense,  owing  to  the  ignorance  of  the 
people  of  the  simplest  laws  of  health,  their  foolish  and 


FAR  HENCE  147 

superstitious  notions  in  regard  to  the  body,  disease  and 
its  remedies,  their  unwillingness  or  inability  to  compre- 
hend or  comply  with  the  directions  given  them,  and  the 
universal  addictedness  to  dirt.  Of  this  an  instance  was 
given  us,  extreme  perhaps,  but  illustrative.  A  man  pre- 
sented himself  in  such  a  condition  that  the  doctor  told 
him  he  could  not  treat  him  till  he  had  washed  himself. 
"  Wash  !  "  that  was  a  thing  not  to  be  thought  of,  and  he 
refused.  Treatment  was  therefore  declined.  As  he  kept 
on  pleading,  and  was  really  in  a  suffering  condition,  the 
doctor  placed  him  under  the  influence  of  ether,  had  him 
washed,  and  then  proceeded  with  his  examination  and 
treatment.  Somewhat  similarly,  a  missionary  friend 
tells  me  that  he  was  one  day  sitting  in  a  hospital  when 
a  man  came  in  and  presented  his  arm  for  treatment. 
He  noticed  that  it  was  covered  with  dark  brown  scales, 
somewhat  after  the  manner  of  the  scales  of  a  fish. 
"What  is  that  ?"  asked  he  of  his  medical  friend,  suppos- 
ing it  to  be  some  new  form  of  disease.  "  Dirt,"  was  the 
concise  reply.  He  then  turned  to  the  would-be  patient 
and  asked  how  often  he  washed.  For  answer,  "once 
in  ten  or  twenty  years  !  "  But  enough  of  such  details. 
These  are  some  of  the  things  which  make  life  and  medi- 
cal practice  in  China  not  over-pleasant. 

The  hospital  and  Dr.  Otte's  new  and  comfortable 
house  form  one  group  of  buildings.  The  house  faces 
the  river,  which  lies  so  low  between  deep-cut  banks — at 
this  season — that  it  cannot  be  seen  even  from  the  upper 
verandah.  Yet,  after  heavy  rains,  its  banks,  though  fif- 
teen to  twenty  feet  high,  are  overflowed  and  the  water 
reaches  sometimes  quite  up  to  the  mission  premises. 
The  view  across  the  river  and  up  to  the  mountains  on  the 
other  side  is  charming.  About  forty  rods  from  these  is 
another  group  of  buildings  containing,  first,  in  the  order 
in  which  we  approach  them  the  original  house — a  small, 


148  FAR  HENCE 

though  very  pleasant  two-story  building,  with  court 
shaded  by  fine  trees — now  occupied  by  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Kip.  Adjoining  this  is  the  house  occupied  by  Pastor 
lap — a  good  specimen  of  the  better  class  of  Chinese 
dwellings — and  next  to  this  the  church.  This  is  a  good- 
sized  building  of  brick,  with  a  fine  doorway  of  stone. 
On  the  south  side,  and  opening,  on  a  narrow  passage,  is 
the  street  chapel,  which  is  always  kept  open,  with  some 
one  in  attendance  to  receive  and  answer  inquirers.  This, 
of  course,  fronts  on  the  narrow  street.  In  its  rear  are 
the  kitchen  and  other  small  buildings.  All  these  adjoin 
and  connect  in  one  general  inclosure.  Between  the 
church  and  the  street  is  a  small  court  with  high  brick 
wall  and  gateway.  Over  the  chapel  is  the  girls'  school. 
Here,  up  a  narrow  and  steep  flight  of  steps,  we  found 
eighteen  smiling,  happy  girls  with  their  teacher,  who 
gave  us  cordial  welcome  with  salutations,  recitations, 
songs  and  tea.  It  is  a  pity  they  have  not  better  quarters. 
The  whole  upper  story — about  12  or  15  feet  by  25 — is 
divided  into  two  departments,  the  front  for  sleeping  and 
the  rear  for  school  and  living  room.  The  windows  are 
small,  the  rooms  dark  and  dingy  looking,  and  wearing 
an  aspect  not  at  all  inviting  to  our  eyes,  I  sincerely 
hope  it  may  not  be  long  before  they  have  better  and 
more  cheerful  quarters,  capable  of  receiving  a  much  larger 
number  of  scholars,  who  could  easily  be  had  were  there 
room  for  them.* 

The  church  was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity  on  Sunday 
—  numbers  of  heathen  crowding  round  the  door,  and  the 
seats  full  to  overflowing  with  the  members  of  the  Church 
and  congregation  from  Sio-Khe  and  the  neighboring 
villages.  About  one-third  of  the  audience  room  is  di- 
vided from  the  rest  by  a  high  screen    of   wood,  and  this 

*  It  is  a  great  pleasure  to  know  that,  by  the  kind  activity  and  liberality  of 
friends  in  the  Woman's  Board,  this  hope  is  to  be  fully  realized,  abundant  funds  for 
a  new  building  having  been  provided. 


FAR  HENCE  149 

smaller  portion  filled  with  women  and  children.  The 
pulpit  is  placed  against  the  south  wall,  at  the  end  of 
the  partition,  and  commands  a  view  of  both  compart- 
ments, the  preacher  being  the  only  7Han  visible  by  the 
women.  It  was  a  "high  day,"  both  for  the  people  and 
for  us.  I  had  the  privilege  not  only  of  speaking  to  them, 
conveying  the  salutations  of  the  churches  at  home  and 
in  India,  but  also  of  baptizing  an  old  woman  of  78  years, 
and  fifteen  infants — among  the  latter  the  youngest  child 
of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Otte.  At  the  close  of  the  address  the 
whole  congregation  rose  to  their  feet,  while  the  original 
member,  now  an  elder,  gave  us  welcome,  and  begged  us 
to  convey  to  the  home  churches  their  grateful  recogni- 
tion of  all  that  had  been  done  for  them,  in  sending  them 
the  Gospel  and  Gospel  teachers  to  live  among  them,  and 
also  to  them  and  to  all  the  churches  we  might  visit,  their 
warm  Christian  salutations.  It  was  an  impressive  scene 
throughout,  and  one  long  to  be  remembered.  In  the 
afternoon  the  church  was  almost  equally  full,  for  a  Sab- 
bath school  which  Dr.  Otte  conducts.  Old  men  and 
women  and  boys  and  girls  were  all  together  studying  the 
Word  of  Life.  ' 

On  Saturday  we  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting,  in  the 
morning,  Pastor  lap  and  the  other  preachers  in  this  val- 
ley, and  in  the  afternoon,  at  dinner,  the  two  Mandarins 
of  the  place,  civil  and  military,  with  the  pastor.  Pastor 
lap  is  a  fine  specimen  of  a  Chinese  Christian  and  preacher. 
Tall,  somewhat  venerable  in  appearance,  with  an  air  of 
natural  grace  and  spiritual  refinement,  he  is  much  re- 
spected by  all  classes,  and  is  a  useful  minister.  He  has  a 
large  family,  and  their  home,  which  we  visited  in  the 
course  of  the  day,  is  a  model — scrupulously  neat  and 
clean,  and  thus  quite  an  exception  to  the  rule.  His  wife 
is  a  gentle,  lady-like  woman,  and  seemed  a  worthy  com- 
panion and  helper  to  her  excellent  husband. 


150  FAJ^  HENCE 

The  military  Mandarin  is  a  short,  stout,  round-faced, 
jolly-looking  man,  continually  smiling  or  laughing.  He 
has  been,  until  recently,  not  favorably  disposed  toward 
the  hospital  or  the  work  of  the  Mission.  Latterly, 
however,  his  attitude  has  changed,  and  he  is  now  on 
friendly  terms,  and  a  contributor  to  the  hospital.  The 
civil  Mandarin  has  been  friendly  from  the  first,  I  believe, 
and  has  shown  his  disposition  in  many  ways.  Partly  by 
his  aid  a  verandah  was  added  to  the  hospital,  and  subse- 
quently the  Opium  Refuge  of  which  I  have  spoken. 
He  has  also  given  the  doctor  a  pony,  which  he  finds  very 
useful,  and  in  many  other  ways  shown  his  kindly  feeling. 
Neither  of  them,  as  yet,  manifests  any  interest  in  the 
Gospel,  but  their  hearts  are  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord, 
who  can  turn  them  whithersoever  He  will.  After  greet- 
ings were  exchanged,  one  of  their  first  questions  was  as 
to  the  age  of  the  secretary.  "  What  is  your  honorable 
age?"  is  the  general  inquiry  of  politeness  among  the 
Chinese.  Of  course,  the  inquiry  was  reciprocated,  and 
the  result  proved  that  the  three  officials  were  nearly  of 
the  same  age,  though  the  foreigner  was  somewhat  the 
oldest.  The  civil  Mandarin  was  somewhat  taller  than 
his  companion — clad  in  sober  brown,  while  the  other 
wore  blue — with  a  sedate  countenance  to  which  specta- 
cles gave  an  air  of  additional  gravity  and  wisdom.  Oc- 
casionally his  face  would  be  irradiated  by  a  smile. 

The  dinner  passed  off  pleasantly  on  the  verandah.  As 
it  began  to  grow  dark  the  students  took  matters  into 
their  own  hands.  The  verandah  had  been  hung  with 
lanterns  of  various  and  curious  shapes,  representing 
flowers,  fish,  crabs,  fruit,  vegetables,  etc.  These  were  lit, 
and  then  began  a  discharge  of  crackers  and  display  of 
fireworks  in  the  court  below,  which  lasted  fully  an  hour. 
The  noise  attracted  an  immense  crowd  outside  the  com- 
pound.    They  climbed  and  lined  the  walls,  and  filled  the 


FAR  HENCE  151 

overlooking  trees.  Not  satisfied  with  this,  they  handed 
up  ladders  to  those  on  the  wall,  to  be  let  down  inside. 
No  sooner  did  these  reach  the  ground,  however,  than 
they  were  seized  and  borne  away.  The  talking  and 
shouting  outside  almost  equalled  the  noise  within,  The 
fireworks  were  of  many  sorts,  and  very  curious.  sPre- 
cisely  at  9  o'clock  the  assembled  guests  were  dismissed 
with  song  and  prayer,  the  Mandarins  departed  in  sedan 
chairs  in  much  state,  with  attendants  bearing  torches  and 
lanterns,  the  crowds  dispersed,  and  quiet  reigned  once 
more. 

The  civil  Mandarin  had  left  a  courteous  invitation  to 
the  gentlemen  to  dine  with  him  on  the  following  Monday. 
Such  an  opportunity  to  see  the  inside  of  a  Yamen,  and 
partake  of  a  Chinese  feast,  was  not  to  be  declined. 
Heavy  rain  fell  Sunday  night,  and  Monday  dawned  in- 
auspiciously.  But  toward  noon  the  rain  ceased,  and  the 
clouds  showed  signs  of  parting.  Shortly  after  noon  we 
sallied  forth.  The  chair-bearers,  supposing  we  were  in 
their  power,  demanded  an  enormous  overcharge,  and  we 
dispensed  with  their  services  altogether,  so  that  they 
took  nothing  from  their  "strike."  Our  way  led  through 
wet  and  muddy  streets,  and  across  the  bed  of  a  creek 
which  divides  the  town.  A  bridge  formerly  spanned  it, 
but  was  carried  away  by  a  flood  last  year.  The  govern- 
ment cares  nothing  for  such  things  as  roads  or  bridges. 
An  effort  was  made  to  repair  the  loss  by  subscription, 
but  this  fell  through.  So  there  was  nothing  for  it  but 
to  climb  down  one  bank,  cross  on  planks  and  logs,  and 
then  climb  up  the  other  side.  It  would  be  comparatively 
easy  to  restore  the  bridge  if  a  pier  could  be  built  in  the 
middle  of  the  stream,  but  this  the  people  will  not  per- 
mit. Why  ?  Because  the  pier  would  be  set  on  the 
dragon's  back.  He  would  be  angry,  turn  and  destroy  the 
bridge  !     Nothing  could  more  clearly  illustrate  both  the 


152  FAR  HENCE 

foolish  superstitions  and  the  utter  absence  ~  of  public 
spirit  which  prevail  in  China.  These  stand  in  the  way 
of  every  public  improvement,  and  effectually  block  it. 

We  proposed  calling,  on  the  way,  on  our  friend,  the 
military  Mandarin.  As  they  live  quite  on  the  other  side 
of  the  town  from  the  mission  premises,  it  was  necessary 
to  pass  through  long,  narrow,  dirty  streets.  A  great 
rabble  of  men  and  boys  flanked  and  followed  us.  Arriv- 
ing at  the  gate,  cards  were  sent  in,  and  quickly  the  great, 
wide  gates  were  thrown  open,  and  we  were  ushered  into 
the  outer  court.  At  the  inner  door  the  Mandarin  himself 
came  forward  to  meet  us,  all  smiles  and  bows.  On  either 
side  of  this  gate  were  rows  of  long-handled  pikes,  spears 
and  battle  axes,  all  highly  polished.  Formerly  these 
were  used  in  battle,  but  are  now  kept  only  for  show. 
Passing  through  this  inner  gate  we  found  ourselves  in 
the  audience  chamber,  or  judgment  hall,  decorated  with 
scrolls  and  carving.  A  square  table  was  spread,  at 
which  we  were  invited  to  take  our  seats.  On  it  were 
numerous  small  dishes,  heaped  high  with  cakes  and  va- 
rious confections.  Tea  was  then  served,  drawn  in  each 
cup,  the  cup  covered  by  an  inverted  saucer,  without  milk 
or  sugar.  The  polite  way  of  drinking  it  is  to  take  the 
cup  in  both  hands,  and,  raising  it  to  the  mouth,  draw  in 
the  tea  with  as  much  noise  as  possible.  The  louder  the  noise, 
the  higher  the  appreciation  of  the  attention  and  the  tea 
itself.  It  must  be  owned  that  this  was  quite  fine  and 
delicate.  As  we  sat,  the  attendant  rabble  crowded  in 
about  the  doors,  curiously  gazing,  while  peeping  through 
the  chinks  on  either  side  were  the  women  of  the  house- 
hold. After  spending  about  half  an  hour  in  conversation 
and  sampling  the  confectionery,  we  rose  to  go.  The 
Mandarin  politely  accompanied  us  to  the  gate,  the  rabble 
fleeing  before  us  to  the  street. 

At  the  civil   Mandarin's  we  were  received  with  similar 


FAR  HENCE  153 

impressiveness,  but  were  ushered  at  once  into  his  private 
apartment,  where  tea  was  immediately  served.  The 
room  was  plainly  furnished,  a  large,  four-post  bedstead 
occupying  the  inner  side.  The  opposite  side  looked  out 
upon  a  court  adorned  with  trees  and  flowers.  The  walls 
of  the  room  were  hung  with  scrolls  and  a  few  foreign 
prints.  A  large  Swiss  music-box,  set  to  Chinese  music, 
was  wound  up,  and  discoursed  its  melodies  for  our 
amusement.  We  had  scarcely  finished  the  first  cup  of 
tea  when  a  card  was  brought  in,  and,  immediately  fol- 
lowing it,  the  military  Mandarin  presented  himself.  He 
brought  with  him  a  servant  bearing  a  metallic  water- 
pipe,  which  he  perpetually  filled,  lit,  and  handed  to 
his  master,  who  took  two  or  three  whiffs  only  and 
returned  it  for  renewal.  This  he  kept  up  all  through 
dinner. 

After  considerable  talk  on  various  topics,  not  easy  of 
selection,  dinner  was  announced,  and  we  returned  to  the 
audience  chamber.  Here-  a  large  circular  table  was 
spread,  round  which  we  were  seated,  the  Mandarin's  son 
being  added  to  the  company — a  pleasant-faced  young 
man,  just  then  at  home  from  Fuh-Chau,  where  he  is 
studying.  Sixteen  small  dishes  of  fruits  and  confections 
were  arranged  in  a  circle  round  the  table.  These  were 
as  follows  :  Pineapple  in  slices,  sugared  limes  in  honey, 
sugared  walnuts,  sugar  cane  cut  in  small  sections, dragon's 
eye  or  lychee  nuts,  small  cakes  flavored  with  peanuts, 
slices  of  banana,  dried  figs,  dates,  biscuits  stamped  with 
Chinese  characters,  sponge  cake,  fruit  jelly,  lozenges 
stamped  with  characters,  sausage  balls,  gui-pe,  a  common 
fruit  unknown  to  me,  and  nut  cakes.  No  plates  or 
knives  were  provided,  but  before  each  person  lay  a  long, 
two-pronged  ivory  fork  and  large  pewter  spoon  with 
round  bowl,  a  small  plate  of  peanuts,  and  roasted  melon 
seeds,  and  tiny  glass  of  sour  rice  wine.     Pastor  lap  was 


54 


FAR  HENCE 


with  us,  and  before  the  dinner  began  our  host  requested 
him  to  offer  prayer. 

The  dinner  consisted  of  fourteen  courses  only,  the 
more  indigestible  dishes  being  omitted,  at  Dr.  Otte's  re- 
quest, out  of  deference  to  the  feebler  digestive  powers  of 
the  Occidental  guests.  Each  course  was  brought  on  in 
a  large  round  bowl,  and  set  in  the  centre  of  the  table. 
The  host  then  pointed  to  it  with  his  fork  or  spoon,  and 
waited  for  one  of  his  guests  to  dip  in  first.  Once  this 
was  done  all  were  at  liberty  to  partake.  As  a  special  act 
of  courtesy  and  mark  of  favor,  the  Mandarin  would  fre- 
quently insert  his  fork  into  some  specially  delicate  bit 
and  hand  it  to  his  honored  guest — an  attention  which 
was  hardly  as  agreeable  as  it  was  polite,  when  it  involved 
the  eating  of  the  morsel  so  presented.  We  often  longed 
to  copy  the  manners  of  our  host  and  his  companions,  and 
spit  out  on  the  floor  what  we  did  not  like,  but  failed  in 
the  requisite  hardihood.  Chicken  in  various  forms,  fish, 
shrimp,  eels,  mussels,  soups  of  different  kinds,  dump- 
lings, eggs  black  with  age  or  cooking,  followed  one  an- 
other in  no  apparent  order.  We  ate  with  "  long  teeth," 
and  a  pile  of  debris  soon  accumulated  before  us  on  the 
table.  The  repast  consumed  a  little  more  than  an  hour 
when  we  rose  and  returned  to  the  private  room.  Tea 
was  again  served,  and  we  soon  took  our  leave  with  ex- 
pressions of  thanks  and  satisfaction.  The  two  Mandarins 
accompanied  us  to  the  outer  gate,  and  there  bade  us 
farewell,  a  great  condescension  and  mark  of  special  favor. 
Arrived  at  home,  we  found  that  a  box  of  sugar  cakes  and 
a  pot  of  sugared  limes  had  been  sent  over  for  our  further 
delectation. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

AMOY    STREETS,    SIGHTS,    SOUNDS    AND    SMELLS. 

Amoy,  May  i6 
On  Tuesday  morning  we  prepared  to  return  to  Amoy. 
As  our  arrival,  so  our  departure  was  signalized  by  the 
discharge  of  long  strings  of  fire-crackers  borne  on  a  pole. 
Our  host  of  the  day  before  sent  his  son,  bearing  parting 
compliments.  A  large  crowd  of  townspeople,  students, 
church  members  and  officers,  with  Pastor  lap,  accom- 
panied us  to  the  river  and  gathered  on  the  bank  to  see 
us  off.  The  rains  had  swollen  the  river  considerably, 
and  the  current  was  strong.  The  old  lady  was  waiting 
with  her  boat,  and  we  were  soon  on  board.  Bidding  fare- 
well to  our  kind  friends,  with  whom  we  had  joined  in  a 
final  prayer  in  Dr.  Otte's  parlor,  we  cast  off  and  floated 
down  the  stream  and  out  of  sight.  The  toil  of  the  de- 
scent, as  was  to  be  expected,  was  much  less,  and  our  aged 
skipper  contented  herself  with  plying  an  oar,  or  handling 
a  sweep  in  place  of  rudder,  instead  of  the  laborious  pole. 
Starting  about  ten  in  the  morning,  we  kept  on  for 
twelve  hours  and  tied  up  in  the  darkness  off  the  village 
of  Thian-po. 

In  the  early  morning  we  went  up  to  the  village,  saw 
the  little  church,  and  the  ground  recently  purchased  for 
a  parsonage.  Early  as  it  was,  the  school  was  already  in 
session,  and  the  scholars  at  their  work.  School  hours 
here  are  from  daylight  till  dark,  with  an  intermission  of 
an  hour,  or  an  hour  and  a  half  at  noon.  Poor  children  ! 
Poor  teacher ! 

Taking  to  the  boat  again,  we  found  ourselves  at  10.30 
passing   under  the  bridge  at  Chiang  Chiu.     Here  Mr. 


136  FAR  HENCE 

Fagg  met  us  with  the  "  river  boat,"  and  Dr.  Kip  with 
Mrs.  Kip  and  Mrs  Otte,  who  had  accompanied  us  thus 
far,  took  leave  of  us  and  returned  to  Sio-Khe.  By  1.30 
we  were  off  Chioh-be,  where  Pastor  Lim  met  us  to 
arrange  for  a  service  in  the  afternoon,  to  be  followed  by 
a  Chinese  supper.  The  church  was  full,  though  a  large 
part  of  the  audience  were  heathen  and  stood  curiously 
gazing  and  listening.  The  women  sat  directly  behind 
the  pulpit,  screened  from  observation  by  a  curtain,  and 
unable  to  see  anything  but  the  back  of  the  speaker's 
head.  If  any  man  thinks  it  is  easy  to  address  an  audi- 
ence of  Chinese,  mostly  heathen,  with  no  special 
suggestion  of  topic  or  address  to  which  to  reply,  let  him 
try  it.  The  pastor,  at  any  rate,  spoke  with  ease  and 
grace. 

The  supper  came  at  five  o'clock,  in  the  pastor's  house, 
which  adjoins  the  church.  It  consisted  of  eleven  courses, 
with  the  same  side  dishes  of  sweet  things  as  I  have  already 
described.  Here  we  made  our  first  attempt  in  the  use 
of  chop-sticks,  and  it  must  be  confessed  with  indifferent 
success.  If  "  there's  rr\any  a  slip  'twixt  the  cup  and  the 
lip,"  there  are  tenfold  more  between  the  dish  and  the 
lip  when  these  implements  are  the  means  of  conveyance. 
Whoso  doubts,  let  him  try  to  feed  himself  with  a  pair  of 
ivory  knitting  needles,  held  between  the  fingers  and 
thumb  of  one  hand.  Nevertheless  the  hospitality  was 
genuine  and  hearty,  and  the  hour  passed  very  quickly. 
The  good  people  accompanied  us  back  to  our  boat  and 
speeded  us  on  our  way  with  many  farewells.  The 
breeze  was  fresh,  but  adverse,  and  we  abandoned  hope 
of  reaching  Amoy  that  evening,  though  only  twenty 
miles  distant.  After  sitting  for  a  few  hours  on  deck,  en- 
joying the  free  motion  of  the  Gospel  Boat,  and  the  con- 
stantly changing  scenes  about  us,  we  sought  our  berths, 
and  woke  early  the  next  morning  at  anchor  off  Kolongsu. 


FAR  HENCE  157 

In  the  towns  mentioned,  and  the  villages  crowded  into 
the  valleys  through  which  we  passed,  there  lives  a 
population  of  not  much  less  than  a  million,  certainly. 
Here  and  there  the  Gospel  has  gained  a  foothold  among 
them.  But  the  great  mass  have  as  yet  no  knowledge  of 
the  way  of  life.  For  that  knowledge  they  look  to  the 
Reformed  Church  in  America.  The  responsibility  for 
their  enlightenment  and  evangelization  is  ours.  The 
fields  are  white  unto  harvest.  Oh  that  the  laborers  to 
care  for  it  might  be  speedily  sent  forth  ! 

I  have,  as  yet,  written  no  description  of  Amoy  itself 
Two  or  three  visits  there  have  served  to  make  it  as  easy 
as  it  ever  will  be.  Yet  I  despair  of  conveying  any 
impression  of  the  reality,  which  is  very  distinct  in  my 
own  mind.  A  Chinese  city  differs  toto  cmlo  from  any 
conception  of  a  city  which  an  American  or  European 
would  be  likely  to  entertain.  Amoy  is  no  exception.  It 
stands  on  Amoy  Island,  surrounded  by  hills,  or  rather 
immense  piles  of  boulders,  some  of  them  of  gigantic 
size,  and  thrown  together  in  indescribable  confusion.  Its 
population  is,  perhaps,  150,000,  or,  with  other  towns  and 
villages  on  the  island,  250,000.  On  a  small  concession 
along  the  harbor  face  stands  a  row  of  large  buildings,  the 
"hongs"  of  foreign  merchants  and  the  banks.  Behind 
them  lies  the  native  city. 

To  visit  it  we  take  a  sampan,  or  native  boat,  from 
Kolongsu.  This  boat  is  of  peculiar  construction,  with 
narrow  bow — not  sharp — and  broad  stern.  The  passen- 
gers sit  in  the  bow.  Behind  them  stands  the  boatman 
skillfully  plying  two  heavy  oars,  with  which  he  both 
propels  and  guides  the  boat,  with  face  turned  towards  the 
bow  and  in  the  direction  in  which  he  desires  to  go.  Multi- 
tudes of  these  boats  are  plying  back  and  forth  across  the 
narrow  harbor,  or  lie  swarming  at  the  frequent  jetties  or 
landing  places.      Steamers  are  leaving  for  Fuh   Chau, 


158  FAR  HENCE 

Shanghai,  Formosa,  Swatow,  Hong  Kong  or  the  Straits 
Settlements,  or  discharging  the  cargoes  they  have 
brought  from  these  various  ports.  Numerous  junks, 
also,  from  various  points  nearer  by,  are  loading  or 
discharging. 

Among  them  all  our  sampan,  skillfully  guided  and 
vigorously  propelled,  makes  its  way  to  the  jetty  on  the 
opposite  shore.  These  jetties,  for  there  many,  are  long, 
narrow  piers,  built  of  large  blocks  of  granite,  and 
sloping  down  and  out  into  the  water,  so  as  to  be  avail- 
able at  all  stages  of  the  tide.  Let  us  land  at  that  which  is 
just  above  the  houses  formerly  occupied  by  Messrs.  Doty 
and  Pohlman,  which  still  stand  with  their  ends  toward, 
and  their  walls  rising  directly  from,  the  water.  One  can- 
not help  breathing  a  sigh  at  the  thought  of  all  they  must 
have  endured  in  such  surroundings.  Immediately  the 
peculiar  odors  of  the  city,  not  *'of  Araby,"  salute  us. 
Amoy  has  the  reputation,  I  believe,  of  being  the  dirtiest 
city  in  China.  I  should  not  be  disposed  to  doubt  or 
dispute  its  ''bad  eminence,"  had  I  not  seen  and  smelt 
Chioh-be. 

Our  way  leads  at  once  up  a  flight  of  stone  steps,  and 
we  are  plunged  immediately  into  a  labyrinth  of  narrow 
streets  and  alleys.  A  few — two  or  three,  perhaps — have 
the  respectable  width  of  from  five  to  eight  feet,  for 
short  distances.  In  some  it  is  hardly  possible  to  carry 
an  umbrella  opened,  and  in  most  for  two  extended  um- 
brellas to  pass  each  other  on  a  level  would  be  impossible. 
The  passage  of  a  chair — the  only  carriage  known — is  a 
matter  of  difficulty  and  confusion.  Way  is  made  for  it 
only  by  dint  of  constant  outcries  on  the  part  of  the 
bearers,  and  the  pressing  of  pedestrians  into  the  shops  on 
either  side.  None  of  the  streets  are  straight,  the  turns 
being  often  very  short  and  sharp.  In  such  cases  the 
ends  of  the  chair  poles  are  frequently  run  up  into  the  cor- 


FAR  HENCE  i59 

ner  shops,  to  the  discomfort,  it  may  be,  of  shopkeeper  or 
customer,  and  the  disarrangement  of  goods.  But  all  is 
taken  in  good  part,  as  are  the  numerous  obstructions  and 
inconveniences  which  occur  in  these  narrow  streets.  Were 
it  not  so,  life  in  them  and  passage  through  them  would  be 
one  perpetual  broil.  As  it  is,  one  must  be  constantly  on 
the  watch,  not  only  before  but  behind,  for  chairs  and  bur- 
den-bearers, peripatetic  cooks  and  pedlers,  buckets  of 
water  or  indescribable  filth  carried  at  the  end  of  poles 
slung  over  men's  shoulders.  He  must  have  a  care,  too, 
where  and  on  what  he  treads,  for  dogs  lie  in  wait  at  almost 
every  step,  heaps  of  garbage  and  refuse  are  in  every 
corner,  and,  to  crown  all,  the  not  infrequent,  self-com- 
placent and  much  petted  pig. 

This  man  who  comes  to  meet  us  is  a  barber.  Over  his 
shoulder  is  a  short  pole  from  which  is  suspended  his 
entire  apparatus.  This  peculiar  looking  box  contains 
razors,  brushes,  cups,  etc.,  and  serves  as  a  seat  for  him 
who  would  be  shaved.  From  the  other  end  hangs  a 
furnace  for  heating  water  and  the  vessel  which  contains 
it.  It  is  no  uncommon  sight  to  see  him  plying  his 
vocation,  shaving  the  head  of  a  chance  customer,  along 
the  streets  or  roads.  Here  is  a  licensed  beggar,  clad  in 
rags  and  beating  a  gong  or  a  drum,  or  leading  a  blind 
girl  by  the  hand,  whose  pitiable  case  is  expected 
to  arouse  the  sympathy  and  benevolence  of  the  on- 
looker. 

One  of  the  most  singular  features  of  a  Chinese  town  is 
the  organization  of  its  beggars  into  guilds  or  associations 
for  mutual  aid  and  protection.  It  is  this  fact  that  gives 
the  single  beggar  a  chance,  for  the  shopkeeper,  before 
whose  shop  he  takes  his  stand  and  beats  his  little  tattoo, 
knows  well  that  if  he  refuses  to  give  this  man  anything,  the 
whole  guild  will  be  down  upon  him.  So,  when  he  has 
endured   this  noise  and  importunity  as  long  as  he  dares 


i6o  FAR  HENCE 

or  cares,  he  flings  a  cash,  and  so  purchases  peace  for  a 
season. 

Most  of  the  streets  through  which  we  pass  are  lined  on 
either  side  with  shops.  Some  of  these — on  one  or  two 
principal  streets — are  of  fair  size  and  appearance.  As  in 
other  cities,  those  representing  different  industries  or 
having  different  kinds  of  merchandise  for  sale,  are 
found  together — such  as  shoe  dealers,  clothing  shops, 
brass  and  metal  workers,  fruit,  grain,  meat  and  fish, 
dealers,  etc.  There  are  even  sections  devoted  to  the 
sale  of  second-hand  shoes  as  well  as  second-hand 
clothes.  Over  the  shop-doors  are  four  characters  in 
black  or  red,  and  hanging  in  front  of  them  are  boards 
or  signs,  painted  or  lacquered  in  black  or  red,  with 
characters  in  gilt,  containing  some  seductive  invitation, 
high-sounding  sentiment,  sage  aphorism,  or  extract 
from  the  classics.  These  swinging  boards,  suspended 
perpendicularly,  give  a  brighter  appearance  to  the 
long,  low  rows  of  otherwise  dark  and  dingy-looking 
shops. 

It  is  a  characteristic  of  them  all  that  their  various  in- 
dustries, in  all  their  various  stages,  are  carried  on  before 
the  public  eye.  The  open  front,  as  wide  as  the  shop  it- 
self, exposes  not  only  the  manufactured  product,  but  the 
process  of  manufacture.  Here,  for  example,  is  a  shoe 
shop.  Around  the  sides  are  shelves  bearing  rows  of 
completed  shoes,  while  on  the  floor,  on  bench  or  table, 
every  step  of  the  process  by  which  they  are  made  is  going 
forward.  So  of  the  furniture  shops,  where  the  chips  and 
shavings  fly  in  the  midst  of  chairs  and  tables  and  cabi- 
nets exposed  for  sale.  Brass  workers  and  blacksmiths, 
stripped  to  the  waist  and  grimy  with  dirt,  pursue  their 
noisy  callings  and  fill  the  air  with  their  din.  The  hull- 
ing of  rice  and  cooking  of  meats  and  baking  of  cakes 
goes  on  before  the  eye  of  the  passer,  and  the  smoke  of 


FAR  HENCE  i6i 

the  latter,  loaded  with  the  odor  of  boiling  fat,  adds  one 
more  to  the  nauseous  smells  that  greet  his  nose. 

Prominent  among  the  shops  and  industries  are  those 
connected  with  the  superstitions  and  idolatry  of  the 
people.  Here  is  a  shop  where  one  may  see  the  entire 
process  of  making  a  god  out  of  a  block  of  wood  or  a 
lump  of  clay,  till  it  emerges  from  the  maker's  hand,"  gilded 
and  painted  and  curiously  fashioned,  to  become  in  time 
the  object  of  worship.  In  this  shop  alongside,  or  across 
the  street,  boys  are  stamping  small  sheets  of  paper  for 
the  ancestral  worship,  into  representatives  of  copper 
cash,  silver  and  gold  coin,  clothing,  etc.  In  yet  another 
men  are  building  up  light  frames  of  bamboo  to  be 
covered  with  thin  paper,  in  the  shape  of  sedan  chairs, 
articles  of  furniture,  and  sometimes  miniature  houses, 
to  be  burned  at  funerals  or  ancestral  feasts. 

Scattered  among  the  other  shops,  more  frequently  per- 
haps than  any  others,  are  the  cook  shops,  tobacco  shops, 
eating  houses  and  opium  dens.  The  foreigner  finds  none 
of  them  attractive,  though  to  the  native  they  are  suffi- 
ciently seductive.  The  opium  dens  differ  from  other 
shops  in  being  partly  enclosed,  so  as  to  hide  the  occu- 
pants generally  from  public  sight.  Over  one  of  them  is 
said  to  be  this  inscription  :  "  May  health  and  happiness 
rest  on  all  who  enter  here  !"  The  proprietor  must  have 
smiled  ironically,  or  diabolically,  when  he  put  it  up. 
There  can  be  no  denying  that  opium  is  the  great  curse 
of  China — accepted  at  first  unwillingly  and  under  pro- 
test, but  now  adopted  and  its  cultivation  extending  over 
a  constantly  widening  field. 

Right  in  the  midst  of  this  crowded  city,  and  on  streets 
filled  with  such  sights,  sounds  and  odors  as  I  have  feebly 
attempted  to  describe,  are  planted  the  two  churches  of 
Amoy.  All  these  are  precisely  the  same  on  Sunday  as 
on  any  other  day  of  the  week.     Added  to  them  may  be. 


1 62  FAR  HENCE 

and  often  are,  the  hideous  music — fifes,  horns,  and  beat- 
ing of  drums  and  gongs — and  the  snapping  of  firecrackers, 
with  which  idol  processions  and  feasts  are  accompanied, 
with  the  shouts  of  the  rabble  which  follow  the  proces- 
sions. Through  these  the  missionaries  and  native  Chris- 
tians must  make  their  way,  and  carry  on  their  worship 
in  the  midst  of  them.  How  difficult  it  must  be  to  pre- 
serve the  Sabbath  decorum  and  the  Sabbath  spirit  under 
such  conditions,  it  is  difficult  for  one  who  has  not  seen 
and  felt  them  to  conceive. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE    AMOY    CHURCHES. 

Amoy,  May  i6 
To  continue  the  account  of  Amoy  and  its  mission 
work  :  The  first  church,  that  of  Sin-koi-a,  occupies  the 
building  erected  by  Mr.  Pohlman.  Probably  the  first 
erected  specially  for  Christian  worship  by  Protestant 
missionaries  in  China,  it  is  still  a  strong,  substantial 
building  of  brick,  and  of  size  convenient  for  a  consider- 
able congregation.  It  was  with  a  peculiar  feeling  of  in- 
terest that  I  visited  it  the  first  time,  and  thought  of  the 
spirit  of  faith  and  prophecy  which  inspired  him  who 
built  it.  It  must  have  required  both  to  enable  him  to 
believe  that  it  would  one  day  be  filled  with  willing  wor- 
shippers of  Him  for  whose  name's  sake  he  had  gone 
forth.  With  what  joy  and  holy  satisfaction  would  he 
have  seen  (who  shall  say  he  did  not  see  ?)  that  church  on 
the  occasion  of  our  second  visit.  It  was  a  union  com- 
munion service,  in  which  pastors  and  people  of  the  First 
and  Second  Churches  were  united.  The  male  members 
of  the  two  churches  filled  the  body  of  the  church  down 
to  the  very  doors.  The  space  reserved  for  women,  in 
the  rear  and  at  the  sides  of  the  pulpit,  was  equally  well 
filled.  Seldom  has  it  been  my  privilege  to  attend  a  more 
interesting  service,  and  never  did  I  wish  more  fervently 
for  the  gift  of  tongues.  The  contrast  was  striking,  in- 
deed, between  this  quiet  assembly,  uniting  in  the  simple 
but  solemn  service,  and  the  thronged  and  busy  streets 
through  which  we  had  come  thither.  Once  in  a  while 
there  came  through  the  open  windows  the  discordant 
sounds  of  an  idol  procession,  once  passing  quite  close  to 


i64  FAR  HENCE 

the  church,  and  the  report  of  strings  of  firecrackers,  dis- 
charged probably  in  honor  of  some  festive  occasion. 
They  broke  on,  but  did  not  seriously  disturb  the  stillness 
of  the  hour,  or  the  prayers  and  praises  that  went  up  from 
grateful  hearts,  save  as  they  suggested  thoughts  of  pity 
for  the  great  multitudes  without,  and  desires  and  prayers 
for  the  speedier  coming  of  that  day  when  all  the  many 
tongues  in  all  this  broad  land  shall  confess  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father. 

In  the  Second  Church  of  Tek-chiu-ka,  we  first  met  the 
native  brethren  of  Amoy  in  their  assembly.  This,  also, 
was  a  union  meeting  of  the  two  churches,  and  this  church, 
too,  was  thronged  with  an  attentive  and  evidently  an 
interested  congregation.  The  women  especially  were 
out  in  force  and  filled  the  space  assigned  them,  disad- 
vantageous as  it  is.  The  salutations  of  the  churches  in 
America  and  India  were  presented.  Mention  was  made 
of  the  completion  of  fifty  years  of  Gospel  light  and  work 
since  David  Abeel  first  came,  bringing  the  message  of 
salvation.  The  pastors  of  both  churches  followed  in 
brief  addresses,  and  the  whole  congregation  stood  while 
they  returned  thanks  for  the  work  that  had  been  done, 
and  the  missionaries  who  had  lived  among  them,  and 
expressed  their  desire  that  their  greetings  should  be  con- 
veyed to  the  churches  in  America  and  in  Japan. 

Just  as  the  service  closed,  an  old  woman  was  observed 
leaning  over  the  screen  that  separates  the  woman's 
quarter  from  the  men's,  evidently  laboring  under  con- 
siderable excitement,  and  desiring  to  be  heard.  We 
stopped  to  speak  with  her,  and  listened  with  great  inter- 
est as  she  bore  her  testimony  to  the  blessings  she  had 
received.  For  over  forty  years  she  had  been  a  believer, 
and  was  now,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two,  rejoicing  in  the 
hope  of  the  glory  of  God.  It  was  not  always  so,  she  de- 
clared.    For  when  the  teachers  first  came  she  "hated  the 


FAR    HENCE  165 

doctrine,"  and  would  not  go  near  the  place  where  it  was 
taught.  She  hated  and  despised  both  those  who  taught 
and  those  who  believed  it.  But  when  trouble  came  and 
her  old  gods  failed  her,  the  comforting  words  of  the  Gos-. 
pel  entered  and  possessed  her  heart.  "  It  is  nothing  but 
the  power  of  God,"  "  the  power  of  God,"  she  repeated, 
with  great  emphasis.  Her  earnestness  of  speech  and 
manner  was  very  impressive,  and  the  story  she  told  a 
most  striking  illustration  of  God's  saving  power  and 
grace. 

The  occasion  of  a  second  visit  to  this  church  was  an 
elaborate  feast  given  by  the  members  of  the  two  churches 
to  all  the  missionaries  at  Amoy,  as  well  as  to  the  visitors, 
who,  let  it  be  said  with  becoming  modesty,  were  the 
chief  guests.  In  fact,  the  feast  was  given  partly  in  their 
honor,  and  partly  to  commemorate  the  ''  Year  of  Jubilee." 
It  was  in  true  Chinese  style,  and  extensive  preparations 
had  been  made  for  it.  The  original  invitation  was  given 
some  days  beforehand.  On  the  morning  of  the  day  fixed, 
the  pastor  of  the  church  called  on  the  guests,  presenting 
them  with  elaborate  invitations  on  red  paper  and  in  Chi- 
nese character. 

At  the  hour  appointed  we  took  boats  and  were  landed 
very  near  the  church.  The  building  itself,  its  courts 
and  the  approaches,  were  thronged  with  people  of  all 
ages.  A  Chinese  band  struck  up  discordant  strains  as 
we  entered,  and  continued  to  discourse  at  intervals 
during  the  evening — happily,  in  the  outer  court.  Arrived 
at  the  entrance,  we  were  met  by  the  pastors  and  officers 
of  the  two  churches,  and  conducted  within  with  much 
ceremony  of  low  bows,  with  clasped  hands,  bending 
almost  to  the  ground.  Leading  the  way  and  clearing  a 
path  for  us  through  the  crowd,  which  filled  the  women's 
apartment,  the  windows  (even  the  skylights  above)  and 
all  the  passages,  they  ushered  us  in.     The  church  was 


i66  FAR  HENCE 

brilliantly  decorated  with  banners,  scrolls,  lanterns  and 
artificial  flowers.  Some  of  the  hangings  were  of  em- 
broidered tapestry,  very  fine  and  evidently  old.  These, 
and  a  number  of  large  lanterns,  such  as  are  used  at 
marriages  only,  were  loaned  for  the  occasion.  On  one 
banner  over  the  pulpit  was  inscribed  in  large  Chinese 
characters,  "Year  of  Jubilee,"  and  on  another  at  the 
opposite  end,  "  East  and  West  United."  Six  tables, 
each  with  eight  chairs,  were  set,  covering  the  floor  of 
the  men's  portion  of  the  church.  One  of  these,  the 
table  of  honor,  was  decked  with  artificial  flowers,  beau- 
tiful and  elaborate,  made  of  pith  by  one  of  the  members 
of  the  church. 

After  a  brief  space  for  inspection  and  conversation, 
the  complicated  ceremony  of  seating  the  guests  began. 
Two  elders,  dressed  in  full  Mandarin  costume,  faced 
each  other,  representing,  one,  the  hosts,  and  the  other, 
each  guest  in  turn.  To  one  of  these  was  handed  the 
chop-sticks  which  were  to  be  used  by  the  guest.  He 
received  them  in  both  hands,  raised  them  to  the  level 
of  his  eyes  and,  holding  them  thus  before  him,  bowed 
to  the  ground.  Then  rising,  handed  them  over  to'  be 
placed  upon  the  table.  The  other.  Mandarin-clad,  with 
hands  clasped  before  him,  followed  closely  all  these 
genuflexions.  Similar  bowings  took  place  with  a  small 
glass  of  a  peculiar  sort  of  tea.'  The  guest  was  then 
conducted  to  his  seat.  As  there  were  forty-eight  guests 
and  this  ceremony  was  repeated  for  each  one,  nearly  an 
hour  was  thus  consumed.  Though  the  feast  was  to  be  in 
the  true  Chinese  manner,  yet  a  wide  departure  from 
custom  was  made  in  behalf  of  the  ladies,  two  tables 
being  specially  set  apart  for  them,  and  (wider  departure 
still,  if  possible)  a  pastor's  wife  assigned  to  each  to  play 
the  part  of  hostess.  When  all  were  seated,  prayer  was 
offered  by  the  Rev.  J.  Macgowan,  of  the  London  Mission, 


FAR    HENCE  167 

and  the  feast  began.  Into  the  details  it  is  hardly 
necessary  to  enter,  as  I  have  already  described  the  dinner 
given  to  us  by  the  Mandarin  at  Sio-khe.  This  closely 
resembled  that,  differing  chiefly  in  the  greater  number 
of  courses  and  peculiar  dishes.  Of  courses  there  were 
twenty-one,  beginning  with  edible  bird's  nests,  and 
ending  with  pound  cake  and  kisses  of  foreign  make  and 
style.  Such  toothsome  dishes  as  sea-slugs,  pig's  tripe, 
etc.,  etc.,  were  interspersed.  After  the  fourteenth  course 
a  recess  or  intermission  of  five  minutes  was  taken,  when 
each  guest  was  at  liberty  to  get  up,  walk  about  and  hold 
conversation  with  his  fellows.  When  the  last  course 
was  served  the  chief  guest  was  privately  notified  that 
the  end  had  come.  His  rising  was  the  signal  for  the 
rest  to  rise,  and  all  was  over. 

Yet  not  all.  For  soon  one  of  the  elders  presented 
himself  and,  with  a  low  bow  and  clasped  hands,  begged 
that  the  guests  of  the  evening  would  not  be  offended  by 
the  want  of  politeness  shown  them  ;  the  people  had 
sought  to  do  us  honor,  but  had  been  guilty  of  great  lack 
of  attention,  and,  in  short,  the  whole  entertainment  had 
proved  a  miserable  failure.  According  to  Chinese 
etiquette  this  was  the  proper  thing  to  do  and  say,  albeit 
a  sly  twinkle  in  the  speaker's  eye,  and  an  arrested  smile 
on  his  artificially  solemn  countenance,  gave  token  that, 
say  what  he  might,  they  had  done  the  thing  up  very 
creditably  for  themselves  and  very  honorably  for  us. 
To  this  it  was  easy  to  reply — and  truthful  as  easy — that 
we  were  delighted  with  our  reception  and  the  attention 
shown  us,  far  beyond  any  desert  of  ours,  and  that  we 
thanked  them  heartily  for  such  an  exhibition  of  their 
kindness. 

Farewells  were  being  spoken  when  the  band  put 
forth  its  utmost  efforts,  while  a  tremendous  fusillade  of 
giant  crackers  in  the  outer  court   made  further  speech 


1 68  FAR  HENCE 

impossible.  The  din  was  indescribable,  and  we  were 
glad  to  escape  after  bid'ding  an  inaudible  adieu  to  the 
many  friends  who  had  so  exerted  themselves  in  our 
behalf.  That  nothing  might  be  wanting  for  our  comfort, 
torches  were  provided,  with  which  we  were  conducted 
through  the  dark  and  crooked  streets  to  the  boats.  It 
was  the  finest  feast  and  the  most  notable  occasion  in 
the  history  of  the  Church  at  Amoy. 


LENG  SOA  AND  PAGODA. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

AMONG    THE    CHINESE    CHRISTIANS. 

Amoy,  June  6 
It  has  been  thouglit  desirable,  and  I  myself  have  de- 
sired, to  accept  as  many  as  possible  of  the  invitations  to 
visit  the  churches  in  the  neighborhood  of  Amoy.  The 
brethren  have  been  so  solicitous,  and  manifested  so  much 
kindly  feeling,  that  it  would  have  been  ungracious  to 
deny  them.  The  first  of  these  visits  was  made  to  Tong 
An,  a  large  town  some  twenty-five  miles  north  of  Amoy, 
where  the  Mission  are  anxious  that  a  station  should  be 
established,  with  two  resident  families  and  a  hospital. 
The  town  itself  is  important,  and  the  work  there  has  had 
a  remarkable  development  of  late  through  the  zeal  and 
efficiency  of  Pastor  Lim.  But  still  greater  importance 
attaches  to  it  by  reason  of  the  large  number  of  villages 
which  dot  the  plains  around  it.  Thither  Mr.  Rapalje 
accompanied  me,  acting  as  guide,  interpreter  and  friend. 
We  boarded  the  Gospel  Boat  on  a  bright  Saturday 
afternoon  at  two  o'clock.  The  tide  was  favorable,  and 
the  breeze  fair,  though  light.  Toward  evening  it  died 
away  almost  entirely,  and  our  boat  grounded  on  the 
shoals,  which  are  of  wide  extent  in  all  these  waters.  At 
the  best,  we  could  only  hope  to  take  the  boat  to  Chioh- 
jim,  a  small  village  about  four  miles  short  of  Tong  An. 
It  had  been  arranged  with  the  brethren  that  if  we  ar- 
rived before  dark  they  would  meet  us  with  chairs  and 
take  us  up  the  rest  of  the  way  overland.  Should  we 
arrive  too  late  for  this,  we  were  to  spend  the  night  on 
the  boat  and  go  up  early  in  the  morning.  By  reason  of 
the  delays  mentioned  above,  it  was  after  nine  and  quite 


lyo  FAR   HENCE 

dark  when,  creeping  slowly  up  the  creek,  we  came  to 
anchor  just  below  Chioh-jim.  A  solitary  boatman  hailed 
us,  and  coming  alongside  declared  that,  just  as  he  was 
finishing  his  supper,  a  large  crowd  had  come  down  from 
Tong  An,  with  chairs,  music  and  fireworks,  waiting  for 
the  "  General  Inspector  of  all  the  space  under  heaven  !'' 
whose  arrival  was  anxiously  looked  for.  Whether  they 
were  still  there  or  not  he  could  not  say.  He  was  sent 
back  to  see,  and  in  half  an  hour  returned  with  the  chapel 
preacher  from  Tong  An,  who  reported  that  most  of  the 
people  had  despaired  of  our  coming  and  returned  to  the 
city,  but  chairs  and  burden-bearers  were  still  there,  with 
one  or  two  other  brethren. 

Late  as  it  was,  we  resolved  to  proceed.  The  moon 
had  risen  and  lent  no  little  light  in  the  open  country, 
while  torches  illuminated  the  dim  streets  of  Chioh-jim 
and  Tong  An.  A  moonlight  chair-ride  of  four  miles 
through  a  strange  country,  and  that  country  China,  is 
an  experience  not  soon  to  be  forgotten.  The  roads,  out- 
side the  village,  which  recent  rain  had  made  wet  and 
slippery,  were  frequently  nothing  but  narrow  ridges 
dividing  one  rice  field  from  another.  A  single  misstep 
on  the  part  of  either  bearer  would  have  been  sufficient 
to  plunge  us  in  the  mud  on  either  side,  and  make  our 
own  clothes  abhor  us  (See  Job  9  :  31).  Happily  no 
such  accident  befell,  and  no  sound  broke  the  stillness 
save  the  croaking  of  innumerable  frogs,  which  make  the 
rice  field  their  abode,  or  the  cry  of  the  head  chairman  to 
his  comrade  in  the  rear.  Stepping  up  or  down,  over  an 
intersecting  ditch  or  narrow  bridge,  turning  to  right  or 
left,  at  each  turn  or  obstruction,  he  uttered  his  note  of 
warning,  which  was  answered  by  his  mate.  These  chair- 
bearers  are  a  class  by  themselves — the  very  lowest,  and 
are  almost  without  exception  opium  smokers.  Their 
work  is  hard  and  its  effect   upon  the  system   very  wear- 


FAR  HENCE  171 

ing,  while  their  pay  is  comparatively  small.  The  drug 
appears  to  be  their  only  solace.  So  low  are  they  regarded 
that  no  chair-bearer  is  allowed  to  enter  the  public  ex- 
aminations, though  in  this  restriction  they  are  joined 
with  actors,  barbers,  constables  and  Buddhist  priests  ! 
There  could  hardly  be  a  more  significant  commentary  on 
the  estimate  in  which  the  last  are  held. 

The  ride  had  ceased  to  be  novel  and  weird,  and  be- 
came wearisome  before  we  passed  through  a  low  gate 
and  entered  the  straggling  suburbs  of  the  city  outside 
the  wall.  Our  pathway  led,  with  many  turns  and  through 
streets  reeking  with  mud,  completely  through  the  walled 
city  to  the  opposite  suburb.  To  our  surprise,  it  being 
near  midnight,  many  people  were  still  on  the  streets. 
Little  companies  were  gathered,  at  intervals,  gazing  on 
the  weary,  stupid  theatrical  shows  that  were  in  full  blast. 
The  food  shops  were  generally  open,  semi-illuminated  by 
flaring  torches  or  sickly  lamps.  About  half  way  through 
the  city  we  were  met  by  a  band  of  musicians  sent  to 
meet  us.  They  seemed  to  emerge,  like  spooks,  out  of 
the  darkness,  clad  in  flaming  red  coats,  bearing  pipes 
and  horns  of  various  shape  and  size,  from  which 
they  expelled  a  prolonged  and  fearful  discord  of  ear- 
splitting  sounds.  Confined  within  the  narrow  streets 
the  din  was,  at  times,  almost  deafening.  Timid-looking 
women  thrust  their  heads  out  of  doorways  as  we  passed, 
and  belated  boys  ran  alongside,  curiously  gazing  at  the 
strange  procession.  The  effect  was  irresistibly  ludicrous, 
yet  one  felt  like  apologizing  for  being  even  the  innocent 
occasion  of  such  a  tumult  at  such  an  unconscionable 
hour  of  the  night. 

As  we  approached  the  church  a  crowd  met  us  which 
completely  filled  the  street.  We  made  our  way  with  diffi- 
culty to  and  into  the  courtyard,  which  was  jammed  with 
people,  men  and    boys,  in    a   compact  mass.     Here  our 


172  FAR  HENCE 

chairs  were  set  down  and  we  emerged  from  our  cramped 
quarters  amid  the  wildest  excitement.  The  pastor  and 
elders  of  the  church  bowed  low  in  hearty  welcome  and 
immediately  conducted  us  up  a  flight  of  steps  to  an  open 
verandah,  where  we  could  look  down  upon  the  crowd. 
One  could  have  walked  on  their  heads  as  on  a  pavement, 
so  closely  were  they  packed.  Here  chairs  were  placed 
for  us,  and  our  appearance  was  the  signal  for  a  deafen- 
ing discharge  of  firecrackers  of  all  sorts  and  sizes,  eclips- 
ing any  and  all  the  Fourth  of  Julys  we  had  lived  through 
from  boyhood  up  ;  then  followed  fireworks  of  various, 
curious  sorts,  some  of  them  scattering  serpents  among 
the  crowd,  which  dodged  and  swayed  and  roared  in 
ecstatic  enjoyment.  Firecrackers  seem  to  be  the  China- 
man's delight.  They  are  used  on  all  occasions,  even  in 
worshipping  the  dead.  One  comes  to  think  that  heaven 
would  hardly  be  complete  to  a  Chinaman  without  them. 
A  tail  pole  stood  in  the  ground,  whence  depended  frames 
of  paper,  united  by  a  long  fuse.  At  the  touch  of  fire  these 
developed  into  fish,  serpents,  a  bird  cage  filled  with  flut- 
tering, fiery  birds,  a  turtle,  and  finally,  a  revolving  par- 
asol scattering  flame.  This  exhibition  over,  we  were 
invited  to  partake  of  a  Chinese  supper  !  The  two  pastors, 
dressed  a  la  Mandarin,  went  punctiliously  through  all 
the  appropriate  ceremonial  of  invitation  and  placing  us 
at  the  tables.  But  there  are  limits  both  to  capacity 
and  endurance,  and  so,  on  the  ground  of  weariness 
and  fulness,  and  also  that  the  Sabbath  had  already  be- 
gun, we  begged  to  be  excused.  Being  graciously  in- 
formed that  if  we  would  but  drink  three  cups  of  tea,  the 
proprieties  would  be  satisfied,  we  cheerfully  accepted 
the  alternative,  excused  ourselves  and  went  to  bed.  But, 
for  an  hour  or  more,  the  sounds  that  entered  the  little 
upstairs  bedrooms  where  we  were  struggling  to  sleep, 
informed  us  that  the  feast  was  carried  out. 


FAR  HENCE  173 

Sabbath  morning  dawned  bright  and  clear.  Before 
we  had  concluded  our  simple  breakfast  the  people  had 
begun  to  assemble  from  the  town  and  surrounding  vil- 
lages. Specially  curious  ones  climbed  the  stairs  and 
stood  gazing  on  us  as  we  ate  till  they  were  courteously 
dismissed.  The  inner  courtyard  gradually  filled  up,  and 
by  nine  o'clock,  the  hour  for  early  service  or  ''  little  wor- 
ship," the  church  itself  was  full.  This  service  is  a  sort 
of  catechetical  exercise  upon  the  lessons  for  the  day.  The 
lesson  is  read,  verse  by  verse,  by  members  of  the  congre- 
gation, both  old  and  young,  and  questions  asked  and 
comments  made  by  the  chapel  preacher.  At  10  o'clock 
came  the  regular  service.  The  church  by  this  time  was 
crowded  to  repletion,  many  heathen  mixing  with  the 
congregation  and  crowding  the  passages  and  doorways. 
A  light  partition  separated  the  women  from  the  men. 
Many  heathen  women  were  among  them.  From  their 
position  it  was  somewhat  difficult  to  hear,  and  some 
talking  and  confusion  among  them  was  the  result.  The 
verandahs  over  the  doorway  and  in  the  rear  were  full  of 
people,  looking  and  listening  through  open  doors  and 
windows.  It  was  a  satisfaction  to  know  that  the  church 
is  almost  as  well  filled  as  this  every  Sunday.  Blessed 
with  an  active,  energetic  and  enterprising  pastor,  the 
church  manifests  an  altogether  new  and  vigorous  life. 
The  address  of  the  Secretary  was  well  received,  being 
interpreted  by  Mr.  Rapalje.  At  its  conclusion  Pastor  Li, 
of  the  O-Kang  Church,  who  has  been  working  here  for 
some  weeks  during  the  temporary  absence  of  Pastor  Lim, 
replied,  thanking  the  churches  in  America  for  what  they 
had  done  for  the  people  of  China,  and  extending  the 
greetings  and  Christian  salutations  of  the  congregation 
to  them  and  to  the  churches  in  Japan.  The  entire  con- 
gregation arose  and  remained  standing  while  he  was 
speaking. 


174  FAR  HENCE 

At  the  close  of  the  service,  while  the  people  who  had 
come  from  a  distance  were  eating  the  simple  fare  they 
had  brought  with  them,  we  took  the  opportunity  of  in- 
specting the  church  buildings. 

A  high  wall  shuts  off  the  enclosure  from  the  street, 
through  which  a  door  opens  into  an  outer  court.  In  one 
corner  of  this  court  is  an  immense  banyan  tree,  with  wide- 
spreading  branches.  A-tree  is  a  sacred  object  with  the 
Chinese.  Quite  a  tumult  was  created  not  long  ago  when 
it  was  proposed  to  cut  off  a  branch  of  this  tree  which 
overhung  and  was  injuring  the  buildings.  On  the  inner 
side  of  this  court  is  a  two-story  structure,  the  upper 
rooms  of  which  are  used  by  the  missionaries  when  mak- 
ing their  visits.  Between  these  rooms  is  a  covered  ve- 
randah which  looks  both  outward  and  inward  on  an  inner 
and  outer  court.  These  courts  are  connected  by  a  cov- 
ered passage  beneath  this  verandah.  On  the  further 
side  of  the  inner  court  stands  the  church,  a  substantial 
building  of  brick,  of  good  size,  but  too  small  for  the  con- 
gregation. Within  the  enclosure  are  also  a  small  school- 
room, a  house  for  the  pastor,  and  a  kitchen  for  the  use 
of  the  people  on  Sabbath.  Here  they  prepare  their  tea 
and  food  during  the  intermission. 

Passing  behind  the  church  we  came  upon  an  interest- 
ing picture.  Miss  M.  E.  Talmage  had  joined  the  congre- 
gation while  service  was  in  progress,  having  come  over 
from  another  village.  Here  she  stood  beneath  a  spread- 
ing tree,  surrounded  by  a  throng  of  women,  Christian 
and  heathen,  to  whom,  with  the  aid  of  a  Scripture  roll- 
picture,  she  was  telling  the  Gospel  story.  Much  of  such 
work  have  the  ladies  of  this  mission  done  and  are  doing. 
It  is  hard,  trying,  often  disappointing,  but  it  has  and 
cannot  but  have  its  rewards. 

After  the  Sabbath-school  service,  which  was  held  at  2 
o'clock,  embraced    the    entire    congregation,  young  and 


FAR  HENCE  175 

old,  and  filled  the  church,  we  climbed  the  hill  which  over- 
looks the  town.  Directly  below  us  it  lay,  with  its  thickly 
clustered  houses  and  teeming  population.  Many  literati 
have  their  homes  here,  as  the  numerous  stone  posts  or 
pillars  which  mark  their  houses  attest.  They  are  as  yet 
well  nigh  unapproachable,  and  their  influence  affects  the 
attitude  of  the  people  of  the  city.  A  beautiful  plain 
surrounds  it,  dotted  all  over  with  villages  embowered  in 
trees,  and  hemmed  in  on  every  side  by  mountains.  It 
was  not  necessary  to  take  the  estimate  of  the  good 
native  brother  who  thought  there  were  "  ten  thousand  " 
villages  in  sight,  to  see  and  feel  that  here  is  a  large 
population,  in  town  and  village,  hundreds  of  thousands 
needing  the  Gospel,  and  who  could  be  easily  readied 
were  a  station  to  be  planted  here. 

Descending  from  this  "Mount  of  Vision"  we  turned 
our  faces  toward  Chioh-jim.  The  two  pastors,  in  Man- 
darin costume,  accompanied  us  on  horseback,  and  a 
goodly  company  on  foot,  to  the  outskirts  of  the  town. 
There,  just  outside  the  gates,  farewells  were  exchanged, 
whole-souled  and  hearty,  they  returning  to  their  homes 
and  we  to  Chioh-jim  and  the  Gospel  Boat,  which  gave 
us  shelter  for  the  night  and  brought  us  safely  to  Amoy 
in  the  early  morning. 


CHAPTER  XXVIl. 

CHURCHES,    TOWNS    AND    TEMPLES    ON    AMOY    ISLAND. 

Amoy,  June  15 
We  expect  to  leave  to-morrow  by  the  S.  S.  "  Belgic," 
which  calls  here  on  her  way  to  Yokohama,  for  a  cargo 
of  tea.  Detained  for  several  weeks  as  we  have  been  by 
the  illness  of  my  daughter,  we  shall  not  be  sorry  to 
leave.  Yet  we  shall  never  forget  the  unwearied  love  and 
kindness  shown  us  by  all  the  dear  friends  here,  nor 
cease  to  be  grateful  for  the  kind  Providence  that  ordered 
our  detention  among  them,  and  not  among  strangers. 
These  weeks  have  given  us,  too,  opportunities  for  seeing 
many  things  which  would  otherwise  have  been  passed  by, 
and  to  make  full  acquaintance  with  this  climate.  I  have 
nothing  good  to  say  of  it.  Its  humid  heat  is  trying 
beyond  expression.  The  air  lacks  ■  all  vitality,  and 
exercise  is  labor  indeed.  They  tell  me  it  is  better  in  the 
fall  and  winter.  I  sincerely  hope  it  is.  Indeed  it  must 
be,  or  life  here  would  become,  in  time,  almost  unen- 
durable. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  Amoy,  whence  large  quan- 
tities of  China  teas  used  to  be  exported,  now  sends 
little  or  none  of  these  to  the  outside  world.  Indeed,  I 
believe  the  cultivation  of  tea  has  almost,  if  not  entirely, 
ceased  in  this  region.  But  a  large  trade  is  done  in 
Formosa  tea,  which  ranks  higher  than  the  old  teas  and 
has,  with  the  aid  also  of  Ceylon  and  India,  I  suppose, 
driven  them  from  the  market.  Steamers  ply  constantly 
between  Amoy  and  Formosa.  They  are  quite  small,  as 
large  vessels  cannot  enter  the  harbors — or  roadsteads — of 
that   island.      Their   cargoes    are    discharged    here,   for 


FAR    HENCE  177 

larger  vessels  to  carry  to  Europe  and  America,  When, 
as  now,  the  new  crop  comes  in,  the  Pacific  Mail  and  the 
Occidental  and  Oriental  steamers  call  here  and  load  up, 
in  order  to  get  the  crop  as  quickly  as  possible  to  the 
markets  which  wait  for  it.  The  "  China  "  came  in  on 
the  4th  inst.,  on  this  errand,  and  carried  away,  as  I 
was  told,  some  1,400  tons  of  the  fragrant  leaves.  A 
similar  cargo,  though  not  so  large,  awaits  the  *'  Belgic." 

Our  delay  enabled  us  to  visit  several  more  of  the 
towns  and  churches  in  the  neighborhood  of  Amoy.  The 
Church  of  O-Kang,  composed  of  the  congregations  of 
Kang-tau  (or  Creek-head)  and  Kio-tau  (or  Bridge-head) 
had  been  exceedingly  desirous  that  I  should  visit  them 
and  partake  of  a  feast  in  Chinese  style.  After  former 
experiences  I  cannot  say  that  this  was  an  added  in- 
ducement. But  the  earnestness  of  the  brethren  and  the 
fact  that  much  faithful  labor  had  been  expended  on 
these  places,  decided  me  to  accept  their  invitation. 
These  towns  are  on  Amoy  island,  Kang-tau  being  about 
six  miles  distant  from  Amoy  and  Kio-tau  three  miles 
beyond  that.  The  journey  was  made  in  chairs,  the  only 
sort  of  vehicle  known  to  or  possible  on  the  roads  about 
Amoy.  Much  of  one's  comfort  in  this  conveyance 
depends  on  the  bearers.  Some  move  quite  easily, 
while  others  keep  one  constantly  jerked  and  shaken. 
At  the  best  it  is  not  easy  to  keep  from  sliding  forward 
in  a  heap.  For  this  the  feet  and  knees  must  be  kept 
constantly  braced,  which  becomes  wearisome  after  a 
while.  Unless  one  leans  back,  his  head  bobs  back  and 
forth  like  one  of  the  curious  nodding  mandarins  the 
Chinese  make,  and  if  he  does  lean  back,  it  is  likely  to 
beat  a  perpetual  tattoo  on  the  head-rest  behind  him. 
Yet  long  journeys  are  made  in  these  chairs,  over  rough 
roads  and  among  mountains,  as  well  as  on  the  plains. 

Our  road  led  us  directly  through  and  around  one  side 


178  FAR    HENCE 

of  the  city,  skirting  for  some  distance  the  base  of  the 
wall  of  the  old  city.  Getting  out  at  last  into  the  open, 
we  struck  the  high  road— one  of  the  widest  (from  two 
to  five  feet)  and  best  that  I  have  seen.  It  led  by  grave- 
yards, wound  among  fields  and  climbed  up  and  down 
over  ditches  and  mounds.  The  graveyards  about  Amoy 
form  some  of  the  most  singular  objects  to  be  seen.  The 
graves  are  arranged  side  by  side  in  close  array,  hundreds 
and  thousands  of  them  rounded  over  and  covered  with 
white  plaster  as  hard  as  stone.  When  I  first  saw  them, 
from  a  distance,  they  appeared  like  an  immense  flock 
of  peculiarly  large  white  sheep  lying  side  by  side  and 
covering  all  the  ground. 

Leaving  the  city  and  its  graves  we  passed  through 
several  villages,  some  of  considerable  size,  each  of  which 
seemed  to  have  its  own  industry  and  its  peculiar  smells. 
In  one  or  more  the  entire  population  were  apparently 
given  over  to  the  manufacture  of  vermicelli.  The  very 
air  reeked  with  the  odor  of  it.  Boys  were  grinding  rice 
for  it  in  large  stone  mills,  a  thick  milky  looking  fluid  issu- 
ing from  them  and  being  caught  in  buckets.  Men  were 
lifting  the  thickened  substance  out  of  great  tubs  and 
spreading  it  on  wicker  hurdles,  which  others  carried 
out  and  spread  along  the  road  and  in  the  fields,  leaving 
the  stringy  compound  to  dry  in  the  sun.  All  these  and 
other  processes  were  going  on  in  the  open  street,  before 
almost  every  door.  The  only  process  not  so  done,  and 
which  I  did  not  see  at  all,  was  that  of  drawing  out  the 
semi-fluid  mass  into  the  long  strings  which  give  the 
article  its  name.  That  seemed  to  be  performed  some- 
where within  the  penetralia  of  the  shops  or  houses. 
The  sights  were  not  appetizing,  to  say  the  least. 

Other  villages  seemed  to  be  exclusively  devoted  to 
the  making  of  boxes  in  which  to  pack  the  vermicelli  for 
shipment,  as  these,  of  all  sorts  and  sizes,  were  piled  up 


FAR    HENCE  I79 

in  the  streets  and  before  the  doors.  Large  quantities 
of  this  article  are  shipped  to  the  Straits  Settlements, 
Singapore,  Penang,  etc.,  where  the  Chinese,  many  of 
them  from  Amoy,  have  largely  congregated.  Across 
the  creek,  also,  a  number  of  large  villages  were  to  be 
seen,  nestling  at  the  foot  of  hills.  All,  or  nearly  all,  of 
these,  with  many  others  which  we  did  not  see,  have 
been  repeatedly  visited  by  preachers  of  the  Gospel, 
missionaries  and  natives,  but  as  yet  with  small  success. 
About  half  way  to  Kang-tau  we  came  upon  a  broad 
open  space  where  two  roads  met.  Here  were  standing 
thirteen  large,  handsomely  carved  memorial  portals. 
These  singular  erections  of  stone  somewhat  resemble 
the  torii,  or  gateways,  which  stand  at  the  entrance  to 
temples  or  temple  grounds  in  Japan.  They  are  designed 
to  commemorate  the  virtues  of  distinguished  dead,  and 
are  to  be  found  everywhere,  in  the  streets  of  cities,  in 
villages  and — as  here — in  the  open  country.  Two 
heavy  pillars  support  an  entablature — all  of  granite — 
which  projects  beyond  the  pillars  at  either  end.  Above 
this  a  smaller  horizontal  block  is  supported  by  short 
columns.  Many  of  them  are  rich  in  carving,  and  at  the 
base  of  the  pillars,  on  each  side,  have  the  favorite 
Chinese  grotesque  figure  of  a  lion.  These  portals  can- 
not be  erected  without  the  Emperor's  permission,  and 
numerous  petitions  for  it  are  constantly  presented.  The 
imperial  authorization  is  cut  on  the  topmost  stone. 
The  grounds  on  which  permission  is  sought,  and  the 
character  of  the  persons  commemorated,  vary  greatly. 
Virtuous  women,  widows,  "girls  who  were  betrothed 
and  whose  affianced  husbands  died  before  they  were 
married  and  who  refused  to  be  married  again  " — (India 
would  be  full  of  such  monuments  if  such  a  custom  pre- 
vailed there)— men  distinguished  for  piety  or  longevity, 
etc. 


i8o  FAR  HENCE 

Our  entrance  into  Kan^-tau  was  much  like  that  into 
Tong-an,  with  the  exception  that  we  made  it  at  midday 
instead  of  midnight.  There  was  the  same — or  a  similar 
— band  to  escort,  and  waiting  pastors,  elders  and  people 
to  receive  us,  with  bursting  firecrackers,  large  and  small. 
For  this,  great  preparations  had  been  made.  The  church 
was  profusely  decorated  with  scrolls,  banners  and  lan- 
terns. The  usual  benches  had  all  been  removed  from 
the  centre,  and  two  rows  of  chairs  facing  each  other  were 
set  in  the  midst.  Taking  these  chairs,  with  the  pastor 
and  elders,  we  were  immediately  served  with  bowls,  each 
containing  two  hard-boiled  eggs  divested  of  their  shells 
and  swimming  in  water  sweetened  and  colored  red. 
With  these  were  handed  chop-sticks,  by  the  aid  of  which 
we  were  expected  to  capture  and  dispose  of  these  elusive 
eggs.  This  was  a  game  requiring  skill  and  patience,  but 
crowned  at  length  with  success.  Then  followed  cups  of 
a  peculiar  kind  of  tea,  the  nature  of  which  I  could  not 
determine  ;  after  these,  cups  of  real  tea,  and  then  cups  of 
coffee. 

To  us,  thus  fortified  after  our  journey,  it  was  intimated 
that  the  time  for  worship  had  arrived.  The  people 
crowded  in  and  filled  the  church,  and  after  singing  and 
prayer  there  followed  the  usual  address  by  the  guest  of 
the  occasion,  rendered  into  Chinese  by  Mr.  Pitcher,  and 
responded  to  by  the  pastor  on  behalf  of  the  people.  The 
good  women  of  the  congregation  sat  behind  the  pulpit, 
but  were  evidently  much  interested,  and  many  came  up 
to  the  friend  from  far  with  kindly  greeting  after  the  serv- 
ice was  concluded. 

Of  the  "  feast "  that  followed,  suffice  it  to  say  that  it 
was — as  nearly  as  might  be — a  counterpart  of  that  given 
us  by  the  united  churches  of  Amoy,  of  which  I  have 
already  spoken.  The  good  people,  determined  not  to 
be  outdone,  had  ordered  from  the  same  caterer  a  precisely 


FAR  HENCE  i8i 

similar  supper.  It  would  undoubtedly  have  drawn  itself 
out  to  the  same  length  had  it  been  permitted  so  to  do. 
But  as  we  had  still  three  miles  to  ^o  and  another  people 
to  meet,  we  were  obliged  to  cut  it  short.  Amid  the  clat- 
ter of  firecrackers  we  bade  our  kind  hosts  farewell,  and 
started  for  Kio-tau.  Some  of  them  would  not  be  left 
behind.  About  a  dozen,  on  gaily  caparisoned  ponies 
with  tinkling  bells,  accompanied  us,  and  before  us  went 
the  band  !  Three  miles  of  discord  indescribable — so 
dismal  as  to  be  positively  jolly.  So  we  survived  it,  and 
in  an  hour  reached  Kio-tau. 

Here  the  whole  village  was  agog.  The  way  to  the 
chapel  was  completely  filled  with  a  curious  and  expect- 
ant crowd,  and  the  chapel  itself  packed  to  its  utmost 
capacity.  We  found  it  a  small,  dingy — I  had  almost  said 
discreditable — affair.  The  women  were  seated  in  a  side 
room  and  could  only  see  and  hear  through  a  large  open 
window.  My  sympathies  were  so  wrought  upon  that  I 
ventured  to  tell  them  that,  as  the  presence  of  a  church 
in  a  town  stood  for  the  worship  of  the  only  true  God,  the 
honor  of  God  was  concerned  in  it,  and  that  they  should, 
for  His  sake  as  well  as  their  own,  try  to  get  another  and 
better  one  ;  that  if  they  would  do  what  they  could,  I 
would  do  what  I  could  to  help  them.  This,  I  understand, 
they  have  begun  to  do,  and  for  aid  to  them  the  Mission 
has  sent,  or  is  sending  a  special  plea.  It  is  a  worthy 
object,  and  a  plea  that  ought  to  meet  respons'e  from  some 
large-hearted  Christian  in  America.*  The  duties  of  hos- 
pitality were  not  neglected  here,  the  serving  of  eggs  and 
tea  preceding  the  service.  The  attention  was  fixed  while 
the  service  lasted,  though  most  of  the  men  present,  and 
many  of  the  women,  were  heathen.  Here,  too,  as  every- 
where, grateful  response  was  made,  and   recognition   of 

*  This  plea  has  been  generously  responded  to  by  the  Woman's  Board,  so  fruit- 
ful of  good  deeds  of  the  kind,  to  the  great  joy  of  missionaries  and  people. 


1 82  FAR  HENCE 

the  benefits  received  from  the  Church  in  America.  Our 
home  churches  need  not  fear  lest  their  labors  and  favors 
have  been  bestowed  on  ungrateful  souls. 

While  idolatry  is  everywhere  prevalent  in  China,  yet 
the  objects  of  worship  are  varied  and  numerous.  The 
only  worship  that  is  universal  is  that  of  ancestors.  Of 
this,  one  evidence  is  the  ceremonies  practiced  at  the 
graves  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  of  which  I  have 
already  spoken.  Another,  and  quite  as  impressive,  is 
found  in  the  ancestral  temples.  These  are  often  of  great 
size  and  elegance,  built  and  maintained  at  large  expense 
by  some  powerful  and  wealthy  family  or  clan.  The  finest 
one  that  I  have  seen  is  in  the  neighborhood  of  our  Second 
Church,  of  Tek  Chiu  Ka,  in  Amoy.  It  is  a  large  stone 
building,  or  group  of  buildings,  fronting  a  wide,  open 
court,  paved  with  stone,  which  faces  the  harbor.  On  the 
left  of  the  court  is  a  series  of  apartments,  dining  and  bed- 
rooms, handsomely  furnished  in  true  Chinese  style,  for 
the  use  of  the  families  composing  the  clan  when  they  visit 
the  temple  for  worship  or  feasts.  The  temple  itself  is 
very  handsome.  The  stonework  of  the  facade  is  literally 
covered  with  carving,  both  delicate  and  grotesque.  Panels 
illustrative  of  historical  passages — presumably  in  the 
history  of  the  family — containing  figures  of  men, women 
and  animals  in  high  relief,  and  cut  with  the  utmost  mi- 
nuteness of  detail.  Other  panels  with  trees  and  birds 
perched  upon  the  branches  in  various  attitudes  and 
standing  out  free  from  the  mass  of  stone.  It  is  a  pity 
that  such  delicate  work  should  be  marred,  as  much  of  it 
is,  by  paint — the  effect  of  which  is  to  cheapen  and  dis- 
figure. The  large  doors  which  open  on  the  paved  court 
are  lacquered  and  decorated  with  gigantic  figures  of 
heroes  in  all  colors. 

Within,  the  great  hall  is  elegantly  finished.  A  high 
roof  is   supported  by  lofty  columns,  columns   and   roof 


FAR  HENCE  183 

beams  in  black  lacquer,  richly  gilded,  with  gilded  cornices 
exquisitely  carved,  banners  and  lanterns.  At  the  farther 
side  stands  a  cabinet,  elegantly  carved  and  gilded,  in 
which  are  arranged  in  rows,  shelf  above  shelf,  the  tablets 
for  the  dead.  These  also  are  carved  and  gilded.  On 
either  side  of  the  cabinet  stands  a  shrine  in  which  an 
idol  sits.  The  order  and  cleanliness  throughout  were 
perfect,  indicating  scrupulous  care — quite  an  uncommon 
thing,  and  in  marked  contrast  with  a  similar  temple  on 
Kolongsu.  There  the  exterior  court  was  dirty,  and  the 
large  doorway  in  front  lumbered  up  with  boxes  and 
baskets,  masts  and  sails  of  boats  and  other  rubbish.  The 
inner  court,  too,  was  foul  with  dirt  and  lumber. 

The  amount  expended  on  the  temple  first  mentioned 
must  have  been  great — $50,000  it  was  said,  though  prob- 
ably not  more  than  half  so  much.  Its  custodians  seemed 
proud  of  it,  and  willing  and  eager  to  have  it  inspected. 
They  showed  us  much  courtesy,  offering  small  cups  of 
tea  for  our  refreshment,  and  removing  railings,  etc.,  for 
the  benefit  of  one  of  our  party  who  wished  to  photograph 
the  interior.  On  our  way  home  we  came  upon  a  pitiful 
contrast  with  all  this  rich  display  of  wealth  and  family 
pride — a  small  niche  in  a  wall,  crowded  with  the  com- 
monest sort  of  tablets.  A  pot  of  sand  in  front  of  them 
served  to  hold  the  sticks  of  incense  which  were  burned 
before  them.  These  were  the  two  extremes.  But  they 
served  to  show  the  hold  which  this  system  of  worship 
has  upon  the  entire  people — high  and  low,  rich  and  poor, 
literati  and  ignorant  vieing  with  one  another  in  their 
devotion  to  the  spirits  of  their  ancestors.  This  is  felt  to 
be  one  of  the  greatest — if  not  the  very  greatest — hin- 
drances to  the  Gospel  and  its  reception  by  the  people  of 
China.  Some,  like  Archdeacon  Moule,  have  sought  to 
find  a  sort  of  via  media,  by  which  certain  supposably 
good  elements,  such  as  reverence  for  the  dead  and  faith 


1 84  FAR  HENCE 

in  the  resurrection,  might  be  recognized  in  solemn  serv- 
ices at  the  grave  on  stated  occasions.  But  the  opinion 
of  the  native  Christians,  pastors  and  others,  and  of  all 
the  missionaries  I  have  met,  is  emphatic,  that  no  com- 
promise is  possible,  that  every  trace  of  it  must  be  aban- 
doned by  those  who  accept  the  Christian  faith  and  name. 
There  are  many  other  subjects  and  objects  of  interest 
connected  with  our  visit  and  observations  here  of  which 
I  would  gladly  write.  But  it  would  be  impossible  to 
cover  all  the  ground,  and  so,  with  this,  and  ready  to 
depart  on  the  morrow,  I  bring  these  letters  from  China 
to  an  end. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

WELCOME    TO    JAPAN    AND    FERRIS    SEMINARY. 

The  "  Belgic  "  brought  us  safely  and  smoothly  over 
"  sultry  summer  seas  "  to  Yokohama  on  the  21st  of  June. 
The  previous  day  we  saw  in  the  distance  the  shores  of 
Kiu-shiu,  which  we  were  loth  to  pass,  and  still  hope  to 
visit.  All  the  morning  of  the  21st  we  skirted  the  eastern 
shore  of  Nippon,  vainly  seeking  and  hoping  for  a  glimpse 
from  the  sea  of  Fujiyama,  "  the  peerless  mountain."  But 
dense  masses  of  sea  fog  settling  over  the  land  hid  it  from 
our  sight. 

We  reached  our  moorings  in  the  capacious  harbor  of 
Yokohama  early  in  the  afternoon.  Around  us  lay  many 
large  steamers,  both  naval  and  commercial,  with  innu- 
merable smaller  craft,  bearing  witness  to  the  importance 
of  this  largest  of  the  treaty  ports  of  Japan,  and  to  the 
volume  of  trade  and  commerce  which  centres  here.  Be- 
fore us,  the  prosperous  looking  town,  lying  low  along 
the  water's  edge,  with  its  wide  Bund  and  many  large 
and  creditable  buildings,  and  back  of  it  the  Bluff,  covered 
with  foliage  and  dotted  with  buildings,  dwelling  houses, 
schools,  hospitals,  etc.  Quite  prominent  among  them 
all  stands  the  "  Ferris  Seminary,"  conspicuous  by  reason 
of  its  size,  its  somewhat  sombre  color,  and  its  windmill. 
We  needed  no  one  to  point  it  out  to  us.  Description 
and  photograph  had  prepared  us  to  recognize  it,  as  we 
did,  at  once.  Beautiful  for  situation,  as  well  as  for  the 
work  it  does — of  which  I  shall  proceed  to  speak  pres- 
ently— it  seemed  to  give  us  a  home  welcome  from  afar, 
as  indeed  it  proved  a  home  for  manv  happy  days.    After  a 


1 86  FAR    HENCE 

slight  interval  of  waiting  we  were  glad  to  see  on  an  ap- 
proaching steam  launch,  the  familiar  faces  of  Mr.  Booth, 
Prof.  Wyckoff  and  Mr.  Pitcher,  who  had  preceded  us 
some  ten  days  in  his  departure  from  Amoy.  It  need 
hardly  be  said  that  our  greetings  were  most  cordial,  nor 
was  it  long  before  ourselves  and  our  belongings  were 
transferred  to  the  launch,  which  conveyed  us  to  the  shore 
At  the  "Hatoba,"  or  landing,  we  were  met  by  Dr.  Ver-. 
beck  and  Mr.  Bailagh,  and  thus,  surrounded  by  all  the 
brethren  of  the  Mission  now  on  the  field,  we  made  our 
long-expected  and  long-deferred  entry  of  Japan. 

In  the  lower  portions  of  the  town,  as  seen  at  first,  the 
stranger  landing  in  Yokohama  might  be  pardoned  for 
fancying  himself  in  some  European  port.  The  height, 
architecture  and  substantial  character  of  the  buildings, 
the  signs  upon  the  stores  and  warehouses,  and  the  width 
and  excellence  of  many  of  the  streets,  go  far  to  justify 
the  impression.  This  portion  of  the  city  is  occupied  by 
foreign  merchants,  and  has  been  almost  entirely  rebuilt 
since  1866,  the  previous  city  having  been  largely  destroyed 
by  fire.  The  long  lines  of  jinrikishas,  however,  and 
troops  of  Japanese,  begin  at  once  to  dispel  the  illu- 
sion, and  by  the  time  one  has  passed  through  the  foreign 
quarter,  over  the  bridge,  through  the  narrower  streets 
thronged  with  natives,  and  among  the  humbler  native 
shops,  it  has  vanished  altogether. 

Seated  in  rikishas,  with  others  following  bearing  our 
baggage,  we  climbed  the  steep  ascent  of  the  Bluff  and 
soon  reached  the  gate  of  the  Ferris  Seminary,  No.  178. 
Here  a  delightful  surprise  awaited  us.  Drawn  up  within 
the  gate,  on  either  side,  stood  the  pupils  in  long  rows, 
their  happy  faces  smiling  on  us  a  hearty  greeting.  Not 
less  hearty  and  smiling  was  the  welcome  we  received 
from  Mrs.  Booth  and  the  other  ladies  who  stood  waiting 
at  the  door. 


FAR   HENCE  187 

I  may  as  well  own,  at  the  outset,  to  another  surprise. 
Notwithstanding  all  that  I  had  heard  and  known  of  the 
institution,  I  was  not  altogether  prepared  to  see  build- 
ings of  quite  so  important,  not  to  say  imposing,  a  char- 
acter, or,  to  speak  familiarly,  so  extensive  a  "plant."  The 
original  building  had  been  once  considerably  enlarged, 
giving  a  capacity  for  one  hundred  pupils.  When  the 
more  recent  and  extensive  enlargement  was  planned,  this 
accommodation  was  altogether  insufficient.  A  light 
temporary  Japanese  structure,  capable  of  accommodat- 
ing twenty  scholars,  had  been  built,  and  yet  many  appli- 
cants had  to  be  turned  away  for  lack  of  room.  It  was 
in  the  day  of  greatest  desire  for  female  education,  and 
education  in  Mission  Schools.  The  tide  of  opinion  set 
strongly  in  that  direction.  To  meet  the  demand  that 
then  existed  and  which  seemed  likely  to  increase,  the  new 
buildings  were  erected.  Two  large  buildings,  one  de- 
voted to  sleeping  and  dining-rooms,  and  one  to  recitation 
rooms,  with  a  large  hall  for  assemblies  a*nd  public  exer- 
cises, were  erected — the  latter  known  as  '^  Van  Schaick 
Hall."*  That  they  are  not  now  filled  with  scholars  is  no 
fault  of  the  enthusiastic  principal,  nor  of  the  school  it- 
self. Even  before  their  completion  that  reaction  or  re- 
vulsion of  popular  feeling  set  in,  the  effects  of  which 
have  been  experienced  by  all  the  Mission  Schools  in 
Japan.  For  three  years  and  more,  though  the  number 
of  schools  has  increased,  the  number  of  scholars,  both 
boys  and  girls,  has  steadily  diminished.  Many  causes, 
into  which  I  will  not  enter,  have  conspired,  doubtless,  to 
bring  about  this  result.  Prominent  among  them  is  the 
anti-foreign  feeling,  which  found  its  expression  in  the 
cry,  ''Japan    for    the   Japanese."     Along  with  this,  and 

*  Aside  from  school  purposes  Van  Schaick  serves  other  excellent  uses,  the 
second  services  on  the  Sabbath  and  the  midweek  prayer  meetings  of  both  the 
foreign  and  native  Union  Church,  as  well  as  many  other  public  assemblies,  being 
held  in  it. 


i88  FAR  HENCE 

perhaps  partly  as  its  outgrowth,  has  been  the  policy  of 
the  government  to  discourage  "private"  schools,  among 
which  Mission  Schools  must  be  counted  in  distinction 
from  Government  schools.  The  intensity  of  this  anti- 
foreign  feeling  is  believed  by  the  most  intelligent  ob- 
servers to  be  passing  away.  Whether  the  pendulum  will 
swing  in  the  opposite  direction,  and  the  former  pros- 
perity of  the  schools  return,  may  be  a  question.  Time 
will  show.     Let  us  hope  so. 

But  there  is  no  question,  I  certainly  have  none,  of  the 
excellence  of  the  arrangements  of  Ferris  Seminary,  or 
of  the  work  done  in  it.  Our  long  detention  in  China 
prevented  our  reaching  Japan  in  time  to  see  the  regular 
work  of  this  and  the  other  schools,  and  much  of  the 
Church  work,  in  progress.  But  we  were,  happily,  not 
too  late  to  meet  the  pupils  and  teachers  before  their  dis- 
persion for  the  summer,  and  attend  the  closing  exer- 
cises both  of  the  Ferris  Seminary  and  the  Meiji  Gakuin. 

The  scholars  and  native  teachers  of  the  former  had 
prepared  for^ws,  entirely  at  their  own  suggestion  and 
under  their  own  direction,  a  delightful  reception  for  the 
afternoon  and  evening  of  our  arrival.  Invited  to  visit 
Van  Schaick  Hall,  we  found  them  all  assembled  and  the 
hall  adorned  with  flowers,  arranged  in  Japanese  style,  for 
our  inspection  and  admiration.  Thence  we  were  led  to 
one  of  the  apartments,  where  the  formal  and  elaborate 
tea-ceremonial  was  rehearsed  for  our  benefit.  It  was 
impossible  not  to  be  charmed  with  the  ease  and  grace  of 
manner  with  which  its  intricacies  were  conducted.  The 
hostess  received  her  guests  seated  on  the  spotless  floor. 
The  attendant,  with  measured  step  and  frequent  kneel- 
ings  and  bowings,  brought  in,  one  after  another  and 
each  separately,  the  furnace,  the  kettle,  the  canister,  the 
cups,  placing  them  on  the  floor  before  the  hostess.  Then, 
when  filled,  each  cup  was  presented,  with  similar  cere- 


FAR  HENCE  189 

mony,  to  the  guest,  who  received  it  with  both  hands  and 
held  it  admiringly,  scrutinizing  both  cup  and  contents 
before  drinking.  Though  there  were  but  three  guests  to 
be  served,  I  judge  the  ceremony  occupied  nearly  or  quite 
an  hour.  Returning  to  the  hall,  we  witnessed  some  in- 
teresting Japanese  games.  In  the  evening  an  address  of 
welcome,  in  faultless  English,  was  read  by  one  of  the 
Japanese  teachers,  in  softest  tones  of  a  most  winning 
voice.  This  was  followed  by  songs  and  recitations, 
among  them  the  singing  of  ''  Father,  take  my  hand."  It 
was  a  day  long  to  be  remembered. 

On  the  evening  of  the  23d,  we  witnessed  a  series  of 
calisthenic  exercises,  admirably  executed  by  all  the  girls, 
in  Van  Schaick  Hall.  They  wore  the  simple  dresses 
provided  by  friends  in  America,  which  are  much  better 
adapted  for  such  use  than  their  own  flowing  robes.  This, 
I  was  glad  to  notice,  was  their  only  departure  from 
Japanese  modes  of  dress  or  of  living.  Neither  here  nor 
in  any  of  our  schools  in  India  or  China,  did  I  observ^e 
any  effort  to  change  the  habits  of  the  scholars  in  such 
matters — in  other  words,  to  Europeanize  them.  Their 
sleeping-rooms  and  beds,  their  dining-rooms  and  food 
and  methods  of  cooking,  and  their  dress,  all  conform  to 
native  models  and  ideas.  Nor,  so  far  as  I  could  judge, 
have  their  manners  suffered.  It  was  quite  gratifying  to 
notice,  in  one  of  the  daily  papers  of  Yokohama,  which 
spoke  in  terms  of  unqualified  praise  of  the  English  Ex- 
hibition of  Ferris  Seminary,  which  occurred  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  24th,  the  admission  that,  while  the  scholars 
gave  such  evidence  of  judicious  and  skillful  training  in 
their  studies,  they  had  lost  nothing  of  their  simple  native 
modesty  and  grace. 

I  wish  I  had  time  to  speak  as  I  would  like  of  that  Eng- 
lish Exhibition  and  of  the  Japanese  Commencement 
which  took  place  on  the   evening   of   July  4th,  each  of 


190  FAR  HENCE 

them  in  the  presence  of  full  and  apparently  delighted 
audiences.  The  English  papers  and  essays  were  well 
conceived  and  well  delivered — the  Japanese  may  have 
been  just  as  good,  and  probably  were,  though  I  could 
not  understand  them.  The  exercises,  both  literary  and 
musical,  reflected  very  high  credit  on  teachers  and  pupils 
It  was  my  privilege  to  present,  with  a  few  words  of 
counsel,  their  certificates  to  the  members  of  the  graduat- 
ing class,  and  I  am  not  ashamed  to  say  that  it  gave  me 
as  much  pleasure  as  almost  anything  I  have  ever  done. 
But  I  desist,  lest  my  account  of  this  school  should  seem 
disproportioned,  and  I  myself  to  have  Ferris  "  on  the 
brain."  I  must  at  least  be  allowed  to  add,  that  a  more 
pleasing  band  of  young  Christian  ladies  it  would  be 
hard  to  find  in  Japan  than  the  six  or  seven  native  teach- 
ers in  this  school,  all  of  them  its  graduates,  and  illus- 
trating the  excellence  of  the  work  done  in  it.  Their 
teachers  and  their  friends  at  home  may  well  regard 
them  with  gratitude  and  hope. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

BY    RAIL    TO    TOKYO    AND    THE    MEIJI    GAKUIN. 

An  untimely  and  unfortunate  attack  of  fever,  which 
seized  me  on  the  "Belgic"  and  continued  with  consider- 
able force  for  several  days  after  our  arrival,  has  driven 
me  to  this  delightful  mountain  retreat,  after  preventing 
me  from  enjoying  many  of  the  pleasant  occasions  and 
"functions"  which  had  been  kindly  prepared.  It  was  a 
satisfaction,  however,  after  being  compelled  to  decline 
many  invitations,  and  being  forbidden  by  medical  advice 
to  do  any  speaking,  to  be  able  to  go  up  to  Tokyo  and 
attend  the  Commencement  of  the  Meiji  Gakuin. 

This  occurred  on  the  29th  of  June.  Under  the  kindly 
conduct  of  Mr.  Ballagh  we  went  up  by  rail  in  the  morn- 
ing. This  is  the  first  railroad  built  in  Japan.  It  was 
constructed  by  English  engineers,  in  the  very  best  and 
most  expensive  manner,  the  cost  per  mile  far  exceeding 
that  of  any  other  railroad  in  the  Empire,  of  which  there 
are  now  a  goodly  number.  This  line  is  eighteen  miles 
in  length  and  was  completed  in  1872.  It  has  served  as 
an  object  lesson  to  the  Japanese  engineers,  to  whom  the 
construction  of  the  other  roads  has,  I  believe,  been  ex- 
clusively confided.  Leaving  Yokohama  from  a  fine  and 
extensive  station,  it  crosses  an  arm  of  the  bay  and  passes 
through  the  old  town  of  Kanagawa.  In  the  early  days 
Kanagawa  far  outranked  in  importance  Yokohama,  which 
was  then  only  an  inconsiderably  fishing  village.  But  it 
lay  on  the  Tokaido,  the  great  road  running  north  and 
south  between  Tokyo  and  Kyoto,  the  two  capitals  of  the 
Empire.     Along  this  road  throngs  of  people  were  con- 


192  FAR  HENCE 

stantly  traveling.  The  Daimios  with  their  bands  of  armed 
retainers,  were  passing  to  and  fro.  Frequent  collisions 
took  place  between  them  and  the  foreigners,  not  unac- 
companied with  bloodshed.  In  fact,  the  spots  were 
pointed  out  to  us  where  such  acts  of  violence  were  com- 
mitted, and  foreigners  attacked  and  killed.  To  avoid 
their  recurrence,  ground  for  business  and  residence  was 
assigned  in  Yokohama.  This  latter  place  has  thriven 
greatly,  far  outstripping  Kanagawa,  which  still  retains, 
in  great  measure,  its  primitive  simplicity.  Its  name 
alone,  I  believe,  survives  as  a  memorial  of  its  designation 
as  one  of  the  open  ports  of  the  Empire,  being  still  used 
in  public  documents.  But  the  places  are  still  pointed 
out  where  the  early  missionaries  and  consuls  had  their 
residence. 

Hence  to  the  capital  the  railroad  runs  along  the  shore 
of  the  Bay  of  Yedo  or  Tokyo,  the  Tokaido  nearly  parallel, 
between  it  and  the  sea.  The  day  was  bright  and  beauti- 
ful, the  sunlight  dancing  and  sparkling  on  the  rippling 
surface  of  the  bay,  or  lighting  up  the  rich  green  of  the 
rice  fields  which  lay  all  along  the  road  and  stretched  far 
away  to  the  west,  till  the  mountains  shut  in  the  view. 
Frequent  temples,  some  of  them  of  large  size,  were  to 
be  seen,  standing  on  the  level  in  the  midst  of  gardens 
and  groves,  or  picturesquely  perched  on  the  hillsides, 
half  hidden  among  the  trees,  with  ascending  steps  and 
the  ubiquitous  *' torii "  or  gateways  indicating  the  ap- 
proach to  a  sacred  shrine.  The  temple  at  Kawasaki,  one 
of  the  towns  through  which  we  passed,  is  extremely  popu- 
lar, and  at  intervals  is  thronged  by  multitudes  of  wor- 
shippers. Just  beyond  the  road  crosses  the  broad  bed 
of  the  Tamagawa  or  Rokugo  river,  which,  rising  in  the 
distant  mountains,  here  pours  its  tide,  through  a  number 
of  mouths,  into  the  sea.  The  delta  thus  formed  smiles 
with    verdure.       The    fields   are    dotted   with    men   and 


FAR    HENCE  193 

women,  patiently  toiling  in  mud  and  water  above  their 
ankles  and  beneath  a  burning  sun,  tending  and  weeding 
the  growing  rice.  A  few  moments  more  and  we  are  at 
Shinagawa,  the  most  southerly  station  of  Tokyo  and  just 
within  the  city  limits.  It  is  also  the  station  nearest  to 
the  Meiji  Gakuin.  We  found  Prof,  and  Mrs.  Wyckoff 
snugly  domiciled  in  a  native  house,  prettily  placed  on  a 
swelling  knoll  and  nestling  among  trees. 

If  the  European  or  American  of  average  height  has 
not  already  been  impressed  by  the  general  shortness  of 
stature  which  prevails  among  the  Japanese,  he  is  likely 
to  be  forcibly  reminded  of  it  when  he  enters  and  takes 
up  his  temporary  abode  in  a  Japanese  house.  Its  con- 
struction is  peculiar.  The  rooms  are  separated  not  by 
immovable  walls,  but  by  sliding  screens — the  "Shoji" — 
which  can  be  entirely  removed  at  will — thus  turning  sev- 
eral rooms  into  one  at  pleasure.  The  ceilings  of  these 
rooms  may  be  of  reasonable  and  respectable  height.  But 
the  permanent  beams  on  which  the  upper  edges  of  the 
shoji  slide,  are  scarcely  more  than  five  feet  or  five  and  a 
half  from  the  floor.  As  a  consequence,  frequent  contact 
with  them  is  apt  to  be  the  result  to  the  six-footer  as  he 
moves  about,  until  he  learns  to  bow  to  circumstances  and 
practice  due  humility.  The  experience  is  no  doubt  val- 
uable, if  somewhat  dearly  bought.  The  effect  of  the 
screens  is  to  impart  a  light  and  airy  character  to  the 
houses,  which,  in  a  warm  climate,  has  its  evident  attrac- 
tions. For  colder  climes  and  winters  such  as  ours,  or 
as  are  experienced  in  the  northern  or  more  elevated  por- 
tions of  Japan,  something  more  substantial  would  seem 
to  be  desirable. 

It  was  pleasant  to  meet,  at  Mrs.  Wyckoff's  table,  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Thompson,  among  the  oldest  Presbyterian  mission- 
aries in  Japan,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Vail,  of  the  Am.  Methodist 
Mission,  with  his  wife,  who,  as  Miss  Witbeck,  was  once 


194  FAR    HENCE 

connected  with  our  own  Mission  and  the  Ferris  Seminary. 
The  changes  that  had  taken  place  in  Japan  since  Dr. 
Thompson's  arrival  formed  one  of  the  subjects  of  con- 
versation. They  have  indeed  been  marvellous  in  many 
ways — not  the  least  in  the  growth  of  the  Church  of 
Christ  and  the  spread  of  Christian  truth.  To  see  the 
evidences  of  them  is  something  to  be  greatly  grateful 
for.  How  much  more  to  have  been  permitted  not  only 
to  witness  them  from  their  beginnings,  but  to  have  had 
a  share  in  bringing  them  about. 

The  Meiji  Gakuin  is  the  Christian  College  of  Tokyo. 
It  is  supported  by  the  Missions  of  the  Am.  Presbyterian 
Church  (North)  and  the  Reformed  Church  in  America. 
It  was  formed  by  the  union  of  the  schools  of  these  two 
Missions,  that  of  the  latter  having  been  previously  at 
Yokohama  and  of  the  former  in  Tokyo.  Instruction  is 
given  by  the  members  of  both  Missions,  our  own  having 
been  represented,  until  this  last  year,  by  Drs.  Verbeck 
and  Amerman,  Prof.  Wyckoff  and  Mr.  Harris.  The  be- 
ginnings, at  Yokohama,  were  very  small.  Yet  from  the 
little  band  of  students  of  English  gathered  by  Dr.  S.  R. 
Brown,  have  come  some  of  the  ablest  and  most  trusted 
preachers  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  To  this  college,  and 
the  kindred  institution  of  our  German  Reformed  breth- 
ren at  Sendai,  which  we  hope  to  visit,  this  church  must 
chiefl}^  look  for  its  supply  of  educated  pastors  and 
preachers  in  the  future  for  the  northern  and  central 
portions  of  Japan.  Its  importance  to  the  rising  Church, 
therefore,  can  hardly  be  overestimated,  nor  the  value  of 
the  work  it  is  accomplishing. 

The  exercises  of  Commencement  week  were  ushered 
in  by  the  Annual  Sermon,  preached  by  the  President,  the 
Rev.  Kajinosuke  Ibuka,  on  Sunday  evening.  This  was 
followed  on  Monday  evening  by  the  Junior  Oratorical 
Contest,  and   on   Tuesday  evening  by  the  Ninth   Anni- 


FAR  HENCE  195 

versary  of  the  Literary  Society,  at  which  a  varied  enter- 
tainment was  presented.  All  these,  together  with 
receptions  of  the  missionaries  in  Tokyo  and  of  the  native 
pastors,  which  had  been  kindly  prepared  for  us,  I  was 
reluctantly,  but  imperatively,  obliged  to  forego.  It  was 
with  the  greater  pleasure,  therefore,  that  I  found  myself 
able  to  attend  the  Commencement  exercises  on  Wednes- 
day afternoon.  These  were  held  in  the  large  chapel  or 
assembly  room  in  Sandham  Hall,  which  was  comfortably 
filled  with  students  and  friends  of  the  institution.  On 
the  platform  President  Ibuka  conducted  the  exercises 
with  dignity  and  grace.  At  his  left  was  seated  the 
venerable  Dr.  Hepburn,  the  preceding  President,  who 
has  been  privileged  of  God  to  see  fifty  years  of  mission- 
ary service,  at  first  in  China  and  since  1859  in  Japan. 
Between  them  your  correspondent  was  assigned  a  place. 
The  programme  varied  materially  from  that  ordinarily 
in  use  on  such  occasions.  None  of  the  students  then 
graduating  made  speeches,  the  only  formal  address 
being  delivered  in  Japanese  by  one  of  the  professors  in 
the  Imperial  University.  Diplomas  were  given  to  seven- 
teen graduates  from  the  academical  and  from  the 
theological  departments.  An  address  had  been  assigned 
to  me  on  the  programme,  from  which  I  felt  compelled 
to  beg  excuse.  But  when,  in  graceful  sentences,  Presi- 
dent Ibuka  expressed  the  sense  of  indebtedness  of  the 
institution  and  of  the  Church  of  Christ  to  the  Reformed 
Church  and  her  missionaries  for  the  long  continued  and 
lively  interest  manifested  in  their  welfare,  it  was  im- 
possible to  sit  still.  On  trembling  limbs,  and  with  a  few 
broken  but  hearty  sentences,  it  was  a  satisfaction  not  to 
be  declined  to  give  utterance  to  the  pleasure  I  felt  in 
such  an  occasion,  and  to  earnest  wishes  for  the  continued 
prosperity  of  this  Christian  school. 

In  the  evening  the  alumni  had  their  annual  dinner  at 


196  FAR  HENCE 

a  restaurant  in  Shiba,  one  of  the  park-like  districts  of 
Tokyo.  The  association  is  of  rather  recent  formation, 
but  is  doing  good  in  cementing  ties  of  friendship  and 
promoting  a  lively  interest  in  the  welfare  of  Alma  Mater, 
There  we  met  Professors  Knox,  Imbrie,  McAuley  and 
John  Ballagh,  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission,  and  Prof. 
Wyckoff  of  our  own,  beside  President  Ibuka  and  Profs. 
Ishimoto  and  Sugimura.  A  feeling  of  good  fellowship 
seemed  to  prevail,  and  but  for  the  "  unknown  tongue," 
one  might  have  fancied  himself  among  the  alumni  of  one 
of  our  own  younger  colleges.  That  several  of  the 
speeches  were  in  English  helped  the  illusion. 

The  following  morning  we  visited  the  college  grounds 
and  buildings.  The  situation  in  one  of  the  outer 
quarters  of  the  capital,  less  thickly  settled,  seems  well 
chosen.  The  campus,  a  considerable  parallelogram,  lies 
as  a  table  at  the  summit  of  a  gentle  acclivity.  One  side 
is  flanked  by  four  dwellings,  the  homes  of  as  many 
professors.  On  the  opposite  side  stands  Sandham  Hall, 
a  fine  building,  the  gift  of  Mrs.  Sandham,  of  New  York, 
devoted  to  recitation  rooms  and  chapel,  well  arranged 
and  adapted  to  the  uses  for  which  it  was  given.  Next 
to  it  stands  a  noble  library  building  of  brick,  containing 
also  some  lecture  rooms — the  gift  of  friends  in  America. 
Hepburn  and  Harris  Halls,  across  one  end  of  the  campus, 
furnish  sleeping  and  dining  rooms  for  the  students. 
The  view  from  the  cupola  of  Hepburn  Hall  is  beautiful 
and  commanding.  Such  is  the  wealth  of  foliage  that 
one  finds  it  difficult  to  fancy  himself  within  the  limits 
of  one  of  the  largest  cities  in  the  world.  While  other 
buildings  may  be  desirable,  and  some  are  needed,  I  was, 
nevertheless,  surprised  and  gratified  to  see  so  young  an 
institution  so  well  provided  for  present  needs.  The 
great  want  at  present,  as  the  trustees  feel,  is  an  endow- 
ment fund  on  which  the  college  may  rely  for  the  mainten- 


FAR  HENCE  197 

ance  and  extension  of  its  proper  work.  Looking  to  the 
future,  and  to  its  important  relations  to  the  growth  of 
the  Church  of  Christ,  and  regarding  the  material  pro- 
vision already  made,  I  could  not  and  cannot  repress  the 
wish  that  some  one  or  more  might  be  found  to  do  for 
it  what  Christopher  Robert  did  for  the  college  on  the 
Bosphorus  which  bears  his  name,  or  William  E.  Dodge 
and  others  for  the  Syrian  College  at  Beirut.  Neither 
of  them,  it  seems  to  me,  has  brighter  prospects  for 
usefulness  than  this. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

BEAUTIFUL    NIKKO    AND    THENCE    TO    SENDAI. 


"He  who  has  not  seen  Nikko  cannot  say  kekko," 
("beautiful!").  So  runs  the  Japanese  legend.  And, 
indeed,  it  is  not  far  out  of  the  way.  For  beautiful  it 
is,  exceedingly.  The  Japanese  are  intense  lovers  of  na- 
ture and  keenly  appreciate  its  varied  beauties  and  glories. 
The  various  flower  seasons — the  cherry  blossom,  the  iris, 
the  wisteria,  the  lotus,  the  chrysanthemum — are  seasons 
of  great  popular  enjoyment.  The  parks  and  groves  and 
gardens  where  these  flowers  abound  in  greatest  profusion 
and  glory,  are  the  resorts  of  admiring  multitudes.  So, 
too,  are  the  spots  which  the  national  taste  has  pronounced 
pre-eminent  for  beauty.  When  so  much  beauty  is  to  be 
found  everywhere,  choice  is  not  easy,  and  tastes  will 
differ.  But  few,  I  imagine,  would  find  fault  with  the 
judgment  that  exalts  Nikko  in  the  popular  esteem. 
Beauties  of  art  combine  with  those  of  nature  to  render  it 
attractive.  At  an  elevation  of  two  thousand  feet,  seated 
among  mountains  clothed  from  foot  to  summit  in  living 
green — some  with  luxuriant  forests,  and  some  with  no 
less  luxuriant  grass  and  herbage,  it  has  a  queenly  throne. 
A  noble  mountain  stream  pours  its  perpetual  torrent  at 
its  feet.  Into  deep  mountain  chasms  numerous  waterfalls 
leap — twenty  or  thirty  of  them,  it  is  said,  within  a  radius 
of  fifteen  miles.  The  air  is  pure  and  bracing,  in  marked 
contrast,  at  this  season,  with  that  in  Yokohama  and 
Tokyo  and  the  plains  below.  The  one  great  drawback, 
indeed  the  only  one  so  far  as  T  know,  is  the  abundance 
of  rain  that  falls  here  at  all  seasons,  rendering  somewhat 


FAR  HENCE  199 

inappropriate,  one  might  think,  the  title  given  to  tlie 
range,  "  Nikko-san," — "mountains  of  the  sun's  bright- 
ness." Our  own  experience  in  this  regard  has  been 
supremely  fortunate,  the  sun  shining  clear  by  day,  and 
the  moon  by  night,  for  five  days  out  of  six.  But  friends 
of  ours,  who  came  earlier  and  spent  a  week,  saw  nothing 
of  the  "  brightness,"  being  enveloped  during  the  whole 
time  of  their  stay  in  clouds  and  rain. 

Were  I  writing  purely  descriptive  letters,  as  I  am  not, 
I  might  have  much  to  say  of  those  six  glorious  days,  and 
of  the  many  and  varied  objects  of  interest  to  be  seen  here 
and  in  this  neighborhood — of  the  long  avenue  of  stately 
and  solemn  cryptomerias,  twenty-eight  miles  in  length, 
by  which  it  used  to  be  approached  from  Utsunomiya  be- 
fore the  railroad  superseded  it  ;  of  the  sacred  bridge, 
gorgeous  in  red  and  gilt,  which  spans  the  river  just  above 
the  town,  kept  locked  and  barred  so  that  none  may  pass 
over  it  but  the  '' immortals,"  gods  and  the  royal  family, 
descendants  of  the  gods;  of  the  long  row  of  stone  Bud- 
dhas,  stained  by  innumerable  storms,  and  gray  with  the 
accumulated  moss  of  many  generations,  which,  to  the 
number  of  a  hundred  or  more,  sit  in  silence  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  river,  a  mile  or  so  above  the  bridge,  dreamily 
contemplating  the  troops  of  visitors,  the  brawling  river, 
and  the  hills  beyond;  or  of  the  magnificent  temples, 
mortuary  memorials  of  the  early  Shoguns  leyasu  and 
lyemitsu,  the  former  the  founder  of  the  Tokugawa  dy- 
nasty and  of  Yedo,  now  Tokyo,  the  latter  the  third  in  the 
succession.  Wonderful  in  construction,  in  the  wealth 
and  artistic  skill  lavished  upon  them,  these  temples  are 
no  less  wonderful  for  the  remarkable  state  of  preservation 
in  which  the  visitor  of  to-day  finds  them,  or  for  their  set- 
ting in  groves  of  cryptomerias,  magnificent  in  size,  height 
and  straightness,  but  somewhat  oppressive  in  their 
sombre  density  of  shade.     A  massive  stone  stairway  with 


200  FAR    HENCE 

stone  balustrade,  seeming  as  true  and  firmly  set  as  when 
they  were  first  placed,  covered  with  moss  and  dripping 
with  moisture,  conducts,  by  more  than  200  steps,  to  the 
tomb  of  leyasu,  which  surmounts  and  looks  down  upon 
the  temple.  But  of  none  of  these  objects  need  I  speak, 
so  fully  have  they  been  exploited  in  the  many  books  upon 
Japan  which  are  easily  accessible  by  every  reader. 

These  temples  have  a  somewhat  peculiar  interest  for 
the  Christian  tourist,  since  it  was  under  leyasu  that  the 
persecution  of  the  early  Christians  began,  a  work  of  fire 
and  sword  completed  by  lyemitsu,  when  the  "  corrupt 
sect"  was  believed  to  be  exterminated,  and  those  edicts 
were  setup  everywhere  throughout  the  empire,  on  public 
tablets,  which,  until  a  few  years  ago,  denounced  ''  the 
evil  sect  called  Christian"  as  "strictly  prohibited,""  and 
promised  rewards  to  those  who  should  inform  against 
persons  suspected  of  belonging  to  it.  One  could  hardly 
help  wondering,  if  their  spirits  may  be  supposed  to  be 
cognizant  of  what  is  now  transpiring  in  Japan,  how  these 
great  patriots  and  persecutors  regard  the  re-entrance  of 
the  doctrine  they  sought  so  vigorously  to  suppress  and 
stamp  out  forever,  the  multitudes  of  their  own  people 
who  have  received  it,  and  especially  the  troops  of  Chris- 
tians from  outside  lands  who  visit  their  tombs,  and  pene- 
trate to  the  inner  chambers  of  their  temples. 

From  Nikko  we  took  an  early  start  for  Sendai  and 
Morioka  under  the  careful  guidance  of  our  good  Dr. 
Verbeck.  No  man,  probably,  knows  Japan  and  the 
Japanese  better  than  he.  And  he  is  the  one  foreigner  in 
all  Japan  who  can  live  and  travel  wherever  he  pleases. 
Taking  the  train  for  Utsunomiya,  we  there  changed  cars 
for  Sendai,  150  miles  further  North,  and  215  miles  from 
Tokyo.  The  road  lay  through  a  beautiful  region,  for  the 
most  part  highly  cultivated — the  ubiquitous  rice  fields 
stretching  away  on  either  hand,  and   the  summits  of  the 


FAR  HENCE  201 

Nikko  and  other  ranges  visible  on  the  West.  Numerous 
pretty  villages  and  larger  towns  lie  along  the  road,  and 
it  was  a  surprise  and  pleasure  to  notice  the  schoolhouses 
everywhere.  In  many  places — most  of  them,  in  fact — 
they  were  the  largest  and  best  buildings  to  be  seen.  One 
cannot  but  be  impressed  by  the  energy  and  intelligence 
which  the  government  has  shown  in  the  establishment 
and  development  of  its  educational  system.  Repeated 
changes  have  been  made  as  experience  has  shown  their 
necessity,  since  the  beginning  of  1868.  The  "  present 
system  starts  with  the  kindergarten,  of  which  there  are 
ninety,  and  culminates  in  the  Imperial  University  in 
Tokyo,  with  its  departments  of  Law,  Medicine,  Engineer- 
ing, Literature  and  Science.  Between  these  extremes 
are  the  elementary  or  primary  schools,  the  ordinary  mid- 
dle schools,  the  higher  middle  or  colleges,  and  the  normal 
schools.  The  pupils  in  all  these  schools  number  about 
three  and  a  half  millions.  Beside  these,  not  to  speak  of 
the  various  mission  schools,  there  are  numerous  private 
schools,  some  of  which,  like  that  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa  in 
Tokyo,  the  Keio  Gijiku,  are  of  great  size  and  a  high  grade. 
While,  with  all  this  provision  and  the  aid,  I  believe,  of  a 
compulsory  education  law,  less  than  half  the  school 
population  is  yet  at  school,  there  still  seems  good  reason 
to  hope  that  the  purpose  expressed  in  an  early  imperial 
edict  may  one  day  be  realized:  "That  education  shall  be 
so  diffused  that  there  may  not  be  a  village  with  an  ignor- 
ant family  nor  a  famih^  with  an  ignorant  member." 
Happy  the  land  where  that  comes  to  pass. 

The  Japanese  railroad  is  not  noted  for  speed,  and  nine 
hours  is  a  long  time  to  consume  in  a  journey  of  150  miles. 
But  the  fine  and  extensive  views  of  hills,  mountains, 
rivers,  valleys  and  plains  opening  in  constant  succession 
on  either  hand,  the  throngs  of  people  entering  and  leaving 
the  cars,  and  the  novel  scenes  in  the  towns  through  which 


202  FAR  HENCE 

we  passed,  to  say  nothing  of  the  pleasure  of  delightful 
companionship,  made  the  way  seem  short.  We  reached 
Sendai  in  the  cool  of  the  ev^ening,  after  an  exceedingly 
hot  day.  Here  we  were  met  by  the  Revs.  Oshikawa, 
Fuju  and  others,  connected  with  the  Mission  of  our 
German  Reformed  brethren,  with  the  most  cordial  wel- 
come, and  conducted  to  the  hospitable  home  of  the 
Misses  Poorbaugh.  Before  we  were  allowed  to  leave  the 
station,  however,  our  passports  were  demanded  and 
carefully  examined  by  members  of  the  omnipresent 
police.  Perhaps  no  country  in  the  world  is  more  thor- 
oughly policed  than  Japan.  Through  all  the  country 
districts  they  are  to  be  seen,  as  well  as  in  the  cities  and 
towns,  patrolling,  either  mounted  or  on  foot,  and  guard- 
ing the  smallest  railway  stations  as  carefully  as  the  most 
important.  It  is  part  of  their  business  to  arrest  the  luck- 
less or  careless  foreigner  who  may  be  found  outside  the 
treaty  limits  without  a  passport,  and  conduct  him  wdth 
all  safety  and  expedition  to  the  capital.  Fortunately  for 
us  we  were  provided  with  the  proper  papers,  and  so  es- 
caped their  hands. 

Sendai  is  a  considerable  town  of  70,000  inhabitants,  and 
the  capital  of  the  province  of  Rikuzen.  One  of  the  north- 
ern Daimios  formerly  had  his  castle  here.  The  castle, 
partly  destroyed  during  the  revolution  in  1868,  is  now 
used  for  military  barracks.  The  military  governor  of 
the  N.  E.  provinces  has  his  official  residence  here.  The 
streets  are  broad,  and  many  of  them  lined  with  inviting 
shops.  Among  the  ordinarily  low  Japanese  houses 
there  are  a  good  number  of  buildings,  both  public  and 
private,  in  European  style.  Its  special  interest  for  us  lay 
in  the  fact  that  the  Japan  Mission  of  the  German  Re- 
formed Church  has  its  central  station  here.  Unfortu- 
nately, owing  to  the  lateness  of  our  visit,  the  members 
of    the  Mission  were  all  absent.     But  a  cordial   note  of 


FAR   HENCE  203 

welcome  placed  the  house  of  the  ladies  at  our  disposal, 
and  two  gentle  Japanese  maidens  waited  to  care  for  us 
and  do  us  honor.  The  native  brethren  were  also  assid- 
uous in  their  kind  attentions. 

The  mission  compound  encloses  the  residences  of  the 
missionaries  and  the  girls'  boarding-school,  of  which 
more  anon.  The  tidings  of  Dr.  Verbeck's  coming  had 
preceded  us,  and  notice  had  been  given  that  a  meeting 
would  be  held  in  the  evening,  at  which  he  would  speak. 
So,  after  supper,  we  sallied  forth  to  the  church,  at  no 
great  distance,  and  on  one  of  the  main  streets  of  the 
town.  It  was  interesting  to  learn  that  the  church  build- 
ing had  once  been  a  Buddhist  temple.  Its  revenues  had 
fallen  off,  and  the  priests,  poor  and  discouraged,  had 
sold  it  for  a  comparatively  low  price.  Later  they  had 
repented,  and  sought  to  buy  it  back  at  a  considerable 
advance,  but  to  no  purpose.  A  Christian  church  it  now 
is  and  is  likely  to  remain,  unless  another  and  better 
should  be  built  on  the  same  site.  With  every  trace  of 
idolatry  removed,  a  raised  platform  and  desk,  and  seats 
for  the  audience,  it  served  its  present  purpose  well.  We 
found  it  nearly  filled.  The  service,  under  the  conduct  of 
Mr.  Oshikawa,  began  with  singing,  with  the  aid  of  an 
American  organ.  Dr.  Verbeck  gave  a  short  and  animated 
address.  The  writer  was  then  introduced,  with  a  few 
sentences  appreciative  of  the  work  done  by  the  Reformed 
(Dutch)  Church  through  its  missionaries  in  Japan,  and 
responded  briefly,  thus  making  his  first  address  to  an 
audience  in  Japan.  It  was  an  experience  not  to  be  for- 
gotten— the  place,  transformed  to  Christian  uses  from 
the  worship  of  idols — the  audience,  partly  composed  of 
Christians  and  partly  of  curious  or  inquiring  heathen,  and 
a  large  proportion  of  them  young — everything,  in  short, 
tended  to  make  it  profoundly  interesting  and  impressive. 

The  German  Reformed  Church  is  represented  in  Sendai 


204  FAR  HENCE 

by  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Hoey,  Moore  and  Schneder,  and 
Misses  E.  F.  and  L.  R.  Poorbaugh.  They  have  two 
flourishing  educational  institutions  under  their  care. 
Of  these,  the  girls'  boarding-school,  as  I  have  said,  stands 
in  the  mission  compound.  It  is  a  large  frame  building, 
containing  chapel  and  recitation  rooms,  and  sleeping  and 
dining-rooms  in  Japanese  style  for  the  pupils.  The 
building  cost  7,000  yen,  about  $5,000  in  gold,  and  is  well 
adapted  to  its  designed  uses.  It  can  accommodate  some 
fifty  scholars,  and  had  forty-four  upon  its  roll  last  year. 
Though  the  summer  vacation  had  commenced,  several  of 
the  scholars  remained  in  the  school,  and  their  bright, 
happy  faces  were  pleasant  to  look  upon.  Their  voices 
too,  sounded  sweetly  as,  raised  in  songs  of  praise,  they 
came  across  to  us  in  the  early  morning.  After  going 
through  the  building,  and  exchanging  greetings  with  the 
scholars,  we  went  accompanied  by  Mr.  Oshikawa,  to  visit 
the  other  and  larger  institution,  of  which  he  is  the  head. 
The  Tohoku  Gakuin,  or  Northeastern  Institute,  is  the 
school  for  boys  and  young  men.  It  possesses  a  large  and 
handsome  building  of  brick,  of  imposing  external  ap- 
pearance, and  admirably  fitted  up  within.  It  was  built 
at  a  cost  of  about  10,000  yen,  $7,000  in  gold,  and  was 
opened  for  use  in  September  1891.  The  number  of  students 
this  year  is  120,  divided  among  three  departments, 
preparatory,  academic  and  theological.  The  last  with 
twelve  students,  is  again  divided  into  two  departments, 
Japanese,  with  seven  students,  and  English,  with  five. 
Two  foreign  teachers  (missionaries)  and  eight  Japanese 
teachers  are  employed.  The  beginnings  of  a  good  library 
are  also  there.  It  is  an  institution  in  which  our  German 
brethren  may  well  take  great  satisfaction.  The  ground 
on  which  it  stands  immediately  adjoins  that  belonging 
to  the  church  already  mentioned,  and  these  together 
afford  room  for  other  buildings  as  they  may  be  needed. 


FAR  HENCE  205 

The  tower  commands  a  fine  view  of    the    city  and   sur- 
rounding country. 

The  city  is  the  centre  of  a  populous  district.  The 
Mission  has  four  preaching  places  within  the  town,  to- 
gether with  half  a  dozen  in  Miyagi  and  three  in  Yama- 
gata  Kens.  Much  good  and  substantial  work  has  been 
done.  The  city  church,  under  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev. 
I.  Miura,  has  a  membership  of  T^(i2.  It  was  begun  as  an 
independent  church,  but  has  been  for  some  years  con- 
nected with  the  Mission.  How  large  the  membership  is 
outside  the  city  I  do  not  know.  A  fine  field,  with  abun- 
dant promise,  and  good  facilities  for  working  it,  are  in 
the  hands  of  our  German  brethren.  May  the  Lord  give 
them  abundant  success. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

MATSUSHIMA    AND    MORIOKA, 


Our  time  at  Sendai  being  limited,  we  were  unable  to 
see  anything  of  the  work  of  the  American  Board,  which 
has  a  station  here.  This  we  regretted  the  less  as  Dr. 
DeForest  was  absent.  One  incident  of  our  stay  we 
must  not  forget.  On  the  evening  of  our  arrival  we  were 
waited  upon  by  a  Mr.  Sugeto,  who,  having  heard  of  our 
coming,  had  travelled  all  the  way  from  Sapporo  in  the 
Hokkaido  to  meet  us  and  to  plead  that  missionaries 
might  be  sent  to  that  island.  The  Hokkaido,  or  ''  Circuit 
of  the  Northern  Sea,"  is  the  island  formerly  called  Yezo. 
On  it  is  Hakodate,  one  of  the  ports  first  opened  to 
foreign  trade  by  treaties  with  Japan.  It  lies  north  of 
the  main  island,  has  a  colder  climate,  a  harsher  soil  and 
a  less  cultivated  people.  Here,  too,  j:he  Ainu,  the 
remnant  of  the  aborigines  of  Japan,  are  found.  Of  late 
years  efforts  have  been  made  to  induce  settlement  by 
emigrants  from  other  parts  of  Xapan,  and  with  consid- 
erable success.  At  Sapporo  an  agricultural  station  was 
established,  and  for  some  years  carried  on  by  General 
Capron  and  a  number  of  American  assistants.  This 
experiment  was  afterward  abandoned  as  too  costly,  but 
a  respectable  agricultural  school  or  college  is  still  main- 
tained by  government.  It  was  the  cause  of  the  emi- 
grants, as  well  as  of  the  scattered  inhabitants  of  the 
island,  that  Bro.  Sugeto  came  to  plead,  and  plead  it  he 
did  most  earnestly,  dwelling  upon  the  wide  opening  and 
the  condition  of  the  people,  "as  sheep  without  a 
shepherd."     This    was  but  one  of  many   similar  appeals 


FARZHENCK  207 

to  which  we  have  listened  from  time  to  time  on 
this  tour,  of  which  we  could  not  but  feel  and  admit  the 
force,  and  yet  to  which  we  were  unable  to  give  affirma- 
tive or  even  encouraging  response.  Alas  for  the 
necessity  of  silence  under  such  circumstances  !  It  was 
impossible  to  repress  the  secret  wish  that  our  German 
brethren,  so  firmly  planted  and  so  successful  in  their 
work  at  Sendai,  might  be  moved  to  extend  their 
operations  by  sending  missionaries  to  the  Hakkaido. 
Their  situation  so  far  north,  would  be  favorable  for  such 
a  movement. 

We  left  Sendai  in  the  early  afternoon  of  an  extremely 
hot  day,  July  12th,  en  route  for  Morioka,  113  miles 
further  north — 328  miles  from  Tokyo — but  stopping 
over  night  at  Matsushima.  These  places  all  lie  on  the 
great  Northern  Railway,  which  has  been  recently  com- 
pleted to  Aomori,  a  small  but  rapidly  growing  seaport, 
about  500  miles  from  Tokyo  and  near  the  extreme 
northern  end  of  the  great  island  of  Nippon.  So  rapid 
has  been  the  growth  of  Aomori,  and  so  great  the  demand 
tor  houses,  that  the  preacher  stationed  there,  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Maki,  has  found  it  impossible  to  secure  a  suitable 
place  for  residence  and  preaching  place.  Matsushima 
is  the  title  given  to  an  archipelago  of  islands  mostly 
quite  small  and  said  to  be  more  than  800  in  number, 
lying  in  and  off  the  Bay  of  Sendai.  It  is  one  of  the 
Safi-kei,  or  '^  Three  most  beautiful  Scenes  "  of  Japan,  and 
seems  to  be  well  worthy  of  its  long  established  reputa- 
tion. I  say  "seems"  advisedly,  because  we  were  so 
unfortunate  as  to  have  the  larger  view  cut  off  by  fog 
rolling  in  from  the  sea,  and  settling  down  over  the  outer 
islands.  What  we  did  see,  however,  was  sufficient  to 
make  us  well  content.  The  village  of  Matsushima  is 
about  two  miles  and  a  half  distant  from  the  railway 
station  of  that  name,  and  is   directly  on  the  shore  of  the 


2o8  FAR  HENCE 

bay.  We  made  the  distance  in  rikishas.  Just  before 
reaching  the  village  we  left  our  vehicles  and  climbed  a 
hill  which  overhung  the  road  and  overlooked  the  sea 
A  well-defined  path  led  up  to  a  small  shrine  upon  the 
summit.  Thence  there  spread  out  before  us  a  scene  of 
peculiar  beauty — islands  of  all  sizes  clustered  together, 
covered  with  pines,  some  of  dense  and  vigorous  growth, 
and  not  a  few  with  but  a  single  tree  or  two,  or  three, 
and  seeming  scarcely  large  enough  to  support  even 
them.  Their  walls,  of  a  soft  volcanic  rock,  rose  abruptly 
from  the  water,  like  the  sides  of  a  ship,  and  gave  to  the 
group  the  appearance  of  a  verdant  fleet  that  had 
grounded  or  come  to  anchor  in  the  bay,  with  tall  trunks 
for  masts  and  wide-spreading  branches  for  their  sails. 
With  the  movement  of  the  fog  before  the  wind  other 
islands  would  appear  for  a  moment,  only  to  be  speedily 
enveloped  and  hid  from  sight. 

Descending  from  the  hilltop,  and  making  our  way  to 
the  village,  we  took  up  our  quarters  for  the  night  at  a 
native  inn,  the  Shio-to-quan.  This  was  our  first  experi- 
ence of  such  entertainment,  though  destined  not  to  be 
the  last.  This  house  was  neat  and  airy,  with  open 
windows  and  balcony,  perched  on  a  little  knoll  and 
looking  off  upon  the  water  and  the  islands.  We  called 
it  "The  House  of  the  Seven  Gables,"  from  its  quaint 
appearance.  Whether  that  was  the  meaning  of  its 
name  I  do  not  know,  though  it  might  easily  have  been. 
The  first  thing  for  an  arriving  guest  to  do  is  not  to 
register  his  name,  but  to  take  off  his  shoes.  This  is  the 
indispensable  condition  of  entrance  to  a  true  Japanese 
house,  as  of  the  temples  and  many  of  the  places  for 
Christian  worship.  The  reason  is  at  once  apparent,  for 
the  floors  are  covered  with  thick  matting,  kept  scrupu- 
lously clean,  on  which  the  people  sit  without  intervention 
of  chair  or  stool.     Aside  from  the  desire  for  cleanliness. 


FAR  HENCE  209 

the  sharp  heels  of  foreign  shoes  would  soon  make  havoc 
of  the  mats. 

The  proprietor — or  his  representative — and  the  wait- 
resses kneel  at  the  entrance  and  prostrate  themselves 
before  the  coming  guest.  Mounting  the  stairs,  two 
large  rooms,  from  which  the  shoji,  or  dividing  screens, 
had  been  removed,  were  placed  at  our  disposal,  our 
articles  of  luggage  variously  bestowed,  and  almost  as 
soon  as  we  were  seated  on  the  spotless  floor,  tea  was 
brought  in.  Refreshed  with  tea  and  rest,  we  went  out 
as  the  day  grew  cooler  and  visited  several  of  the  islands 
connected  with  the  mainland  by  bridges.  Every  island 
in  the  entire  group  is  said  to  have  its  name.  Some  of 
them — as  had  one  of  those  we  visited — have  shrines  and 
temples  on  them  and  others  dwelling  houses.  On  one 
the  rocky  edge  had  been  excavated  so  as  to  form  a 
continuous  series  of  cavernous  niches,  in  many  of  which 
still  stood  images  of  the  gods.  Some  of  these  images 
were  in  fairly  good  preservation,  some  worn  and  mutil- 
ated, while  many  had  disappeared  altogether,  leaving 
their  places  vacant.  The  rock  itself  seemed  to  be  disin- 
tegrating and  likely,  at  some  distant  period,  to  disappear, 
A  Tokyo  merchant  had  built  a  summer  cottage  on  this 
island — a  beautiful  spot  indeed.  In  passing  through 
the  village  we  noticed  many  dark  caverns  under  over- 
hanging rocks,  the  rocks  themselves  covered  thick  with 
vines,  while  immense  trees,  rooted  in  the  crevices,  had 
sent  other  roots  downward,  clinging  to  the  surface,  to 
seek  nourishment  from  the  ground  below. 

A  true  Japanese  dinner  was  served  us  in  the  evening, 
in  lacquered  trays  set  before  each  as  we  were  seated  on 
the  floor.  The  food  consisted  chiefly  of  fish — cooked  in 
different  ways — soup,  a  few  other  vegetables  and  a  bowl 
of  rice — all  to  be  eaten  with  chop-sticks.  The  people 
who    use    these    implements  far  outnumber  those  who 


2IO  FAR  HENCE 

employ  knives  and  forks,  and  the  expedition  with  which 
a  good  meal  can  be  eaten  with  their  aid  by  an  expert  is 
simply  marvellous.  Where  every  smallest  child  is  such 
an  expert,  the  almost  helpless  foreigner  feels  his  in- 
feriority. With  the  introduction  of  lights  the  ubiquitous 
mosquito  makes  his  already  suspected  presence  more  dis- 
tinctly felt.  No  country  enjo5'^s  a  monopoly  of  these 
"birds  of  prey."  To  ward  them  off  and  make  sleep  pos- 
sible, a  huge  net  is  brought  in  and  suspended  from  the 
four  corners  of  the  room.  Beneath  its  spreading  folds 
four  beds  are  spread  upon  the  floor — layer  upon  layer  of 
thickly  wadded  quilts,  ■  cotton  and  silk — with  one  for 
covering.  Stretched  upon  these  and  sheltered  by  the 
net  we  slept  and  were  refreshed,  unmindful  of  mosquitoes 
and  forgetful  of  Matsushima  and  its  charms. 

An  early  call — before  sunrise  the  next  morning — roused 
us  to  begin  the  journey  of  the  day.  After  a  hasty  cup 
of  tea  we  took  the  waiting  jinrikishas  again  and  sought 
the  station.  The  fog  still  lingered  and  the  early  morn- 
ing air  was  chill.  Climbing  a  steep  hill  some  distance 
beyond  the  village,  we  turned  seaward  and  saw  our  last 
of  Matsushima.  Our  vision  of  it  had  been  limited,  yet 
we  had  seen  much  to  admire.  With  the  aid  of  a  little 
imagination  it  was  easy  to  understand  the  charms  it 
possesses  for  the  nature-loving  Japanese.  One  of  their 
poets,  we  were  told,  was  so  impressed  by  them  that  he 
gave  expression  to  his  feelings  in  a  poem.  According  to 
the  rules  of  the  Japanese  Ars poetica,  a  poem  may  consist 
of  only  a  few  syllables,  each,  however,  possessed  of  poetic 
force  and  meaning.  The  poem  to  which  I  have  referred 
read  thus  : 

"  Matsushima  yah  ! 
Tada  (only)  Matsushima  yah  ! 
Ah  !  Matsushima." 

Morioka  is  the  most  northerly  station  occupied  by  any 


FAR    HENCE  211 

of  the  Missions  connected  with  the  "  Church  of  Christ 
in  Japan."  The  Rev.  E.  Rothesay  Miller  and  Mrs.  Miller, 
of  our  own  Mission,  removed  thither  from  Tokyo  in 
1888,  and  have  since  resided  there  continuously  until 
June,  1892.  Mr.  Miller's  attention  had  been  called  to  it 
some  years  before,  while  on  a  tour  in  the  north,  as  a 
desirable  point  at  which  to  begin  and  from  which  to 
superintend  evangelistic  work.  A  considerable  company 
of  believers  has  been  gathered,  numbering  last  year 
sixty-two.  Work  has  also  been  done  in  neighboring 
towns,  and  very  interesting  services  have  long  been  held 
in  the  prison  with  encouraging  effect.  Mr.  Miller  has 
been  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Miura,  of  the  native 
Church.  Here  also  Mrs.  Miller  has  done  a  good  work 
among  the  women,  besides  continuing  the  preparation 
and  publication  of  the  monthly  periodical  established 
by  her,  the  Yorokobe  710-ohidzuri^  or  Glad  Tidings.  This 
excellent  paper  has  reached  a  circulation  of  3,500  copies, 
and  is  taken  in  nearly  every  province  of  the  Empire. 
When  Miss  Leila  Winn  returned  to  Japan  in  1891,  she 
was  transferred  from  the  Ferris  Seminary  to  Morioka,  to 
engage  directly  in  evangelistic  work  among  the  women. 
It  was  my  hope  to  be  able  to  visit  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller 
in  their  own  home,  and  under  their  conduct  to  see  the 
work  that  has  developed  in  this  interesting  field.  But 
our  protracted  delays  by  the  way  prevented  this,  and 
they  were  already  in  America  on  well-earned  furlough 
when  we  turned  our  steps  westward.  Our  welcome  was 
cordial  and  hearty  notwithstanding,  and  we  found  await- 
ing us  at  the  station  en  our  arrival  Miss  Winn,  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Pierson,  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission,  temporarily 
stationed  there,  Mr.  Miura,  O  Hira  San,  Miss  Winn's 
assistant  from  the  Ferris  Seminary,  and  other  Japan- 
ese friends.  Notwithstanding  the  higher  latitude, 
the  sun    was    scorching,    and    we    were  glad    to    escape 


212  FAR  HENCE 

from  it  into  the  shelter  of  Mr.  Miller's  comfortable 
home. 

On  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  among  trees  and  gardens, 
the  house  is  a  composite  of  Japanese  and  American  ideas 
and  construction,  combining  the  light  and  airiness  of 
the  former,  with  not  a  little  of  the  comfort  and  solidity 
of  the  latter.  A  veritable  home-garden,  with  familiar 
plants  and  vegetables  in  flourishing  condition,  added  to 
its  attractions.  The  town  is  beautifully  situated  between 
two  ranges  of  mountains,  and  not  far  distant  rises  the 
symmetrical  summit  of  Iwate  San,  the  northern  Fuji. 
It  is  also  a  place  of  considerable  importance,  both  for 
trade  and  as  the  possessor  of  the  Court  House,  the  High 
School,  and  the  official  residence  of  the  principal  officers 
of  the  Prefecture.  In  former  times  a  daimio  had  his 
castle  here.  The  walled  enclosure  still  remains,  sur- 
rounded by  a  moat,  now  dry,  and  overshadowed  by  noble 
cryptomerias.  Of  the  castle  itself,  no  vestige  now  re- 
mains. At  least  we  found  none,  as  we  clambered  over 
the  walls  and  through  the  rank  vegetation  in  the  after- 
noon. Just  so  completely  has  the  old-time  feudal  system 
disappeared  from  Japan. 

More  interesting  far  than  any  such  objects  was  the 
meeting  in  the  evening,  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Miura,  where 
we  met  the  native  brethren,  and  spoke  a  few  words  to 
them,  in  company  with  Dr.  Verbeck,  Mr.  Miura  and  Mr. 
Maki,  of  Aomori.  It  was  pleasant  to  see  so  many  bright, 
intelligent-looking  young  men  in  the  company.  The 
next  day  Miss  Winn  had  her  class  of  women  gathered  at 
her  house  for  prayer.  As  we  sat  in  the  room  above,  it 
was  sweet  to  hear  the  sounds  of  praise,  and  the  low 
murmur  of  voices  tuned  to  prayer  that  came  to  us,  and 
then  to  be  invited  down  to  take  these  sisters  by  the  hand 
and  look  into  their  faces  even  for  a  moment. 

Work  in  this  region  might  be  much  extended  were  it 


FAR  HENCE  213 

not  for  the  passport  system  of  which  I  have  already 
spoken.  Miss  Winn  goes  to  Hanamaki,  where  she  has 
a  class  of  women,  as  Mrs.  Miller  did,  but  must  return 
before  night.  The  same  restriction  applies  to  Mr.  Pier- 
son's  movements.  Neither  he  nor  Miss  Winn  could  ob- 
tain a  passport  permitting  them  to  reside  at  Morioka 
were  they  not  engaged  in  teaching  in  one  or  other  of  the 
Japanese  schools  here.  The  same  is  true  of  all  foreign 
residents  in  interior  towns.  By  so  much  as  the  restric- 
tion is  rigidly  enforced  is  the  possibility  of  missionary 
labors  circumscribed.  It  is  no  wonder  that  missionaries 
generally  long  for  the  day  when,  by  a  revision  of  existing 
treaties,  this  disability  may  be  removed. 

At  Morioka  our  little  party  separated.  Mr.  Booth  with 
one  companion  went  north  to  the  Hokkaido.  Miss  Deyo 
remained  to  spend  a  few  weeks  with  Miss  Winn,  while 
we,  my  daughter  and  myself,  returned  with  Dr.  Verbeck 
to  Tokyo.  Of  this  great  and  peculiar  city  I  shall  hope 
to  have  something  to  say  in  my  next  letter. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

GLIMPSES    OF    TOKYO. 

We  have  really  seen  so  little  of  Tokyo  that  I  am  quite 
reluctant  to  speak  of  it  at  all.  It  is  impossible  to  get 
any  adequate  or  even  clear  idea  of  such  a  city  in  four  or 
five  days,  which,  split  into  two  nearly  equal  portions, 
was  all  we  had  to  give  it.  One  of  these  we  spent  as 
the  guests  of  Prof,  and  Mrs.  Wyckoff  in  their  cozy  Japan- 
ese house  at  Shinagawa,  on  the  occasion  of  the  Meiji 
Gakuin  Commencement.  The  other  and  later,  in  Tsukiji, 
or  the  Foreign  Concession,  as  guests  of  Dr.  and  Miss 
Verbeck.  The  distance  between  these  two  sections  of 
the  city,  some  four  and  a  half  or  five  miles,  gives  one 
some  faint  conception  of  its  extent  and  peculiar  char- 
acteristics. 

It  is  a  city  of  many  quarters,  and  seems  to  have  grown 
by  agglomeration — the  gradual  absorption  of  scattered 
arid  outlying  villages  or  districts,  until  it  covers  an  irregu- 
lar space  of  about  ten  miles  square.  Some  of  these 
quarters  are  still  quite  rural  and  even  park-like — large 
and  beautiful  parks,  shaded  by  noble  trees  being  included 
in  them — while  in  others  the  houses  are  as  thickly  com- 
pacted, though  with  broader  streets,  as  in  any  city  in 
China.  In  olden  times  it  was  a  simple  fishing  village, 
and  bore  the  name  of  Yedo.  As  such  it  was  known  to 
the  Western  world  until  recent  years.  The  first  Shogun, 
leyasu,  made  it  his  residence  in  the  opening  years  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  and  since  that  time,  and  up  to  the 
Revolution  of  1868,  it  has  been  the  capital  of  the  Shogu- 
nate,  or    military    power,  the    Mikado    or  real   Emperor 


FAR  HENCE  215 

having  his  capital  at  Kyoto.  When,  by  the  Revolution, 
he  was  restored  to  actual  power,  and  began  to  exercise 
the  legitimate  supremacy  of  which  he  had  been  so  long 
deprived,  he  came  to  Yedo,  and  the  name  of  the  city  was 
changed  to  Tokyo,  or  the  "  Eastern  Capital."  Its  present 
population  is  about  a  million  and  a  quarter. 

Tsukiji,  or  the  Foreign  Concession,  is  the  quarter  as- 
signed for  the  residence  of  foreigners.  Such  a  quarter 
is  assigned  for  this  purpose  in  all  the  open  ports,  and 
foreigners  are  not  permitted  to  live  outside  of  them  un- 
less they  are  employed  for  some  purpose,  educational  or 
other,  by  natives  of  the  country,  or  by  the  government. 
The  space  occupied  is  comparatively  small,  and  is  mostly 
taken  up  by  the  churches,  schools  and  residences  of  the 
missionaries  of  the  various  bodies  represented  in  the 
capital.  Yet  not  all  of  these  are  here  by  any  means,  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  (North)  of  the  United  States 
having  their  college  and  theological  school  at  Aoyama, 
and  the  Meiji  Gakuin  of  the  Presbyterian  and  Reformed 
Churches  being  at  Shinagawa,  each  at  a  distance  of 
several  miles  from  Tsukiji  and  from  each  other.  The 
Graham  Female  Seminary  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission  is 
also  located  in  another  quarter  of  the  city,  and  there  may 
be  others  beside.  Specially  prominent  among  the  build- 
ings of  the  Foreign  Concession  is  the  fine  group  erected 
— and  hardly  completed  at  the  time  of  our  visit — by  the 
Mission  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United  States. 
This  Mission  is  largely  indebted,  for  its  strength  and 
success,  to  the  personal  character  and  devotion  of  the 
venerable  Bishop  Williams,  who  was  one  of  the  first  mis- 
sionaries to  Japan,  residing  during  the  early  years,  from 
1859,  at  Nagasaki. 

None  of  the  schools,  unfortunately,  were  in  session  at 
this  season,  and  we  were  obliged  to  be  content  with  view- 
ing the  outside.     The    American    Legation    used  to    be 


2i6  FAR  HENCE 

domiciled  in  Tsukiji.  The  building  occupied  by  it  is 
still  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  in  the  settlement,  is 
finely  situated  on  the  Bund,  looking  off  upon  the  water 
and  catching  the  evening  breeze,  and  is  now  the  Club 
Hotel,  where  we  were  most  hospitably  and  comfortably 
entertained. 

Prominent  among  the  objects  of  special  interest  in 
Tokyo  are  its  magnificent  parks  of  Shiba  and  Ueno.  We 
visited  the  former  early  in  July.  Here  six  of  the  Toku- 
gawa  Shoguns  lie  buried,  in  mortuary  temples  whose 
display  of  gold  and  lacquer  work,  architectural  and  artis- 
tic elaboration  and  adornment,  at  first  dazzle  and  be- 
wilder and  at  last — shall  it  be  confessed  ? — confound  and 
weary  the  beholder.  As  one  passes  through  the  various 
ornamented  gateways,  and  the  courts  lined  with  curi- 
ously adorned  and  colored  buildings,  and  long  rows  of 
lanterns  in  stone  and  bronze  and  shadowed  by  over- 
arching trees  ;  as,  with  shoes  removed  and  the  proper 
(and  very  moderate)  fee  for  entrance  paid,  he  treads  on 
lacquered  floors  and  looks  upon  tombs  and  walls  and 
ceilings  lacquered  and  gilded  and  rich  in  carving  and 
other  decorations  in  the  highest  style  of  art  known  to 
Japan,  he  is  oppressed  with  a  sense  of  richness  beyond 
expression — his  ejaculations  of  wonder  and  admiration 
seem  enfeebled,  language  impoverished,  and  his  vocabu- 
lary to  need  enlargement  with  each  new  revelation.  De- 
scription is  useless,  after  such  hasty  inspection  as  we 
were  able  to  give,  and  I  shall  not  attempt  it.  If  any 
reader  wishes,  he  can  find  guide  books  and  tales  of 
travelers  enough  to  satisfy  his  curiosity.  And  after  all, 
if  he  should  be  so  fortunate  as  to  s^e  these  temples  and 
those  at  Nikko,  after  having  read  the  description,  he  will 
probably  confess,  as  I  do,  that  he  had  no  conception  of 
the  reality. 

Of  quite  another  sort,  and  yet  quite  as  important  and 


FAR  HENCE  217 

interesting  in  its  own  way,  is  the  great  temple  at  Asakusa, 
another  and  distant  quarter  of  the  city,  sacred  to  Kwan- 
non,  the  goddess  of  Mercy.  The  images  of  this  goddess 
which  I  have  seen  present  the  attractive  face  of  a  be- 
nignant and  compassionate  woman.  The  features  are 
regular  and  graceful,  and  the  eyes  full  of  love  and  pity. 
One  does  not  like  to  generalize  too  confidently  from 
hasty  and  narrow  premises  and  observations.  But  I 
cannot  avoid  the  feeling  that  if  there  be  degrees  in 
idolatry,  that  of  Japan,  and  even  that  of  China,  stands 
upon  a  higher  level  than  that  of  India,  if  one  may  judge 
from  the  character  of  the  images  that  meet  his  eye.  The 
abominable  distortions  and  monstrosities,  the  brutal  dis- 
play of  lust  and  passion,  so  common  and  repulsive  in 
India,  seem  largely  wanting  here.  It  may  not  be  too 
much  to  ascribe,  in  part  at  least,  to  their  different  con- 
ceptions of  their  divinities,  as  expressed  in  their  images, 
the  greater  cheerfulness  and  lightheartedness  of  the 
people  which  impresses  one  in  Japan,  as  compared  with 
those  of  India.  The  idolatry  of  India  seems  to  rest 
down  upon  the  people  like  an  overshadowing  and  over- 
whelming pall  of  darkness  and  despair. 

Stillness  and  peace  reigned  at  Shiba.  At  Asakusa  all 
was  changed.  Bustle  and  life  prevailed.  The  immedi- 
ate approach  to  the  temple  led  through  a  paved  avenue, 
lined  on  either  side  with  shops.  Here  were  displayed 
large  stores  of  toys,  confections,  trinkets  and  fancy  arti- 
cles of  many  sorts.  Troops  of  people,  largely  women 
and  children,  but  with  a  plentiful  sprinkling  of  men, 
filled  the  space  between,  going  and  coming,  good-na- 
turedly jostling  one  another,  chatting  and  laughing  and 
making  holiday.  The  many  colored  dresses  gave  bright- 
ness to  the  picture.  It  is  always  holiday  here,  they  tell 
us.  On  great  fete  days,  of  which  there  are  a  super- 
abundance,   the   throngs  are  immense  and   wonderful. 


21 8  FAR  HENCE 

Ours  was  only  an  ordinary  day,  yet  a  festive,  holiday  air 
was  everywhere  present.  A  large  park-like  enclosure 
encircles  the  temple,  in  which  are  booths  for  the  sale  of 
fancy  articles  and  side-shows  of  many  sorts,  while  seats 
and  tea-houses  in  abundance  provide  rest  and  refresh- 
ment for  the  weary. 

A  two-storied  gateway  stands  in  front  of  the  temple, 
with  huge  images  of  wood,  one  on  either  hand,  the  in- 
evitable guardians  of  the  gate.  The  bodies  of  these 
images,  as  of  others  in  many  places,  were  sprinkled  with 
spit-balls  of  paper.  This  style  of  worship  may  not  seem 
exactly  complimentary,  but  there  is  no  thought  of  disre- 
spect. The  spit-ball  is  a  prayer,  written  upon  a  slip  of 
paper,  chewed  and  thrown  at  the  idol.  If  the  ball  sticks, 
the  prayer  is  heard.  If  it  falls  to  the  ground,  the  prayer 
falls  with  it.  What  proportion  of  prayers  so  addressed 
are  successful  we  did  not  ascertain.  The  temple  beyond 
is  more  than  one  hundred  feet  square,  surrounded  by  a 
wide  gallery  or  verandah,  and  surmounted  by  the  heavy, 
curved  and  projecting  roof  which  forms  so  picturesque 
a  feature  of  the  temples  in  Japan.  The  heavy  projecting 
eaves  and  cornices  are  covered  with  wire  netting  to  pro- 
tect them  from  the  flocks  of  doves  which  make  the  temple 
yard  their  home.  Large  columns  of  wood  sunk  in  stone 
sockets,  support  the  roof.  Lanterns  and  pictures  and 
votive  offerings  of  many  kinds  are  suspended  on  the 
pillars  and  from  the  ceiling.  The  sacred  image,  concealed 
from  view,  is  placed  behind  a  wire  screen.  For  a  con- 
sideration the  inner  apartment  may  be  entered  and  the 
image  itself,  I  believe,  inspected.  We  did  not  make  the 
investigation.  Before  it  stands  a  huge  money  chest, 
with  grating  of  parallel  bars  with  sharply  bevelled  edges 
instead  of  a  cover,  into  which  intending  worshippers  cast 
their  offerings.  Clapping  their  hands  to  secure  the  atten- 
tion of  the  divinity  within,  they  kneel  and  pray  or  as- 


FAR  HENCE  219 

sume  the  attitude  of  prayer,  undisturbed  by  the  stream 
of  idle  or  curious  spectators.  Their  number  must  be 
great  on  ordinary  days,  and  on  feast  days  enormous. 
The  revenue  to  the  temple,  through  the  money  chest, 
though  the  amount  of  each  offering  be  but  small,  must 
be  correspondingly  great. 

At  the  right  of  the  central  shrine  stands  a  wooden 
image  of  Binzuru,  the  helper  of  the  sick,  on  whom  Bud- 
dha is  said  to  have  conferred  the  power  to  heal  all  human 
maladies.  Healing  virtue  is  therefore  ascribed  to  his 
image.  It  is  elevated  on  a  pedestal,  but  within  easy 
reach  of  those  who  seek  its  aid.  The  afflicted  come  and 
rub  their  hands  upon  that  part  of  the  image  answering 
to  the  portion  of  their  own  bodies  in  which  their  malady 
is  supposed  to  lie — the  eyes,  the  chest,  the  limbs,  etc. 
The  hand  is  then  applied  to  the  diseased  part  itself  and 
the  sufferer  retires.  So  frequent  and  assiduous  have 
been  the  applications  that  the  features  of  the  face  are 
almost  entirely  obliterated,  and  the  whole  image  worn 
as  smooth  as  though  highly  polished.  We  half  suspected 
that  some  laughing  boys  were  making  game  of  the  idol 
as  they  went  through  the  process  of  rubbing  first  its  eyes 
and  then  their  own.  But  the  sight  was  one  to  evoke  any 
other  feeling  than  that  of  mirth,  whether  of  pity,  sorrow 
or  disgust.  Yet  it  would  be  hard  to  say  in  what  particular 
such  superstition  differs  from  that  which  prompts  thou- 
sands and  tens  of  thousands  of  so  called  Christians  to 
make  the  pilgrimage,  in  hope  of  healing,  to  ^'  Our  Lady 
of  Lourdes,"  or  the  "  Holy  Coat  of  Treves." 

Close  by  the  temple  stands  a  high  and,  it  must  be  con- 
fessed, very  ugly  tower  of  brick,  which  seems  quite  out 
of  keeping  with  its  surroundings.  Its  twelve  stories  rise 
to  a  height  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  feet.  An  electric 
elevator  usually  conveys  aspirants  to  the  eighth  story, 
but,  unfortunately,  on  this  day  was  not  in  running  order. 


220  FAR  HENCE 

So  we  climbed  slowly  and  wearily  up  the  uncounted  steps 
of  the  winding  stairway,  headed  and  followed  by  troops 
of  schoolboys  whose  wooden  clogs  made  music  on  the 
resounding  boards,  and  whose  bright  eyes  looked  keenly 
and  curiously  at  us.  Emerging  at  the  upper  story  we 
were  rewarded  by  an  extensive  and  magnificent  view  of 
Tokyo  and  the  regions  adjacent. 

Descending,  we  regained  our  rikishas  and  took  our 
way  to  Ueno  Park,  another  of  the  popular  resorts. 
Beautiful  now,  it  must  be  specially  so  in  the  time  of  the 
cherry  blossoms,  which  come  in  April,  when  its  long 
avenue  of  cherry  trees  is  one  mass  of  bloom.  Then  all 
the  populace  assembles  here  to  wonder  and  admire.  Here 
was  fought  one  of  the  bloody  battles  of  the  Revolution, 
and  a  monument  commemorates  the  bravery  and  the  fate 
of  those  who  fell  fighting  for  the  Shogun.  Here  also,  in 
mortuary  temples  similar  to  those  of  Nikko  and  Shiba, 
six  of  the  Shoguns  lie  buried.  These  tombs  we  did  not 
visit.  Here,  too,  is  the  Museum,  where  we  saw,  in  too 
rapid  survey,  specimens  of  the  industrial  arts  and  manu- 
factures of  Japan,  both  ancient  and  modern,  antiquities 
from  different  parts  of  the  Empire  and  historical  relics 
of  many  kinds — clothing,  armor,  weapons  and  vehicles — 
exceedingly  curious  and  interesting.  Here,  railed  round 
and  carefully  guarded,  by  the  side  of  one  its  avenues, 
stand  the  trees  planted  by  General  and  Mrs.  Grant  at 
the  time  of  their  visit. 

The  Imperial  University,  with  its  extensive  buildings, 
occupies  the  ground  formerly  belonging  to  the  Yashiki 
or  town  residence  of  the  Daimio  of  Kaga.  When  leyasu 
chose  Yedo  for  his  capital,  he  required  all  the  Daimios  to 
reside  six  months  in  the  city.  Their  residences,  called 
Yashiki,  covered  large  spaces  of  ground,  with  many 
buildings  of  various  grades,  for  the  accommodation  of 
their    families  and   their   numerous    retainers.     A  large 


FAR  HENCE  221 

portion  of  the  city's  territory  was  thus  occupied.  Since 
the  abolition  of  the  I3aimiate,  many  of  these  yashikis 
have  disappeared,  some  being  destroyed  by  fire  and 
others  having  been  pulled  down  to  make  way  for  build- 
ings and  uses  more  suited  to  the  needs  of  the  new  national 
and  civic  life.  Some  have  been  devoted  to  public  uses, 
and  among  them  that  of  the  richest  of  them  all,  to  the 
University.  To  this  institution  a  peculiar  interest  attaches, 
for  us,  from  the  fact  that  its  foundations  were  largely 
laid  by  representatives  of  the  Reformed  Church.  Pre- 
vious to  the  reorganization  of  the  Government,  Dr.  Ver- 
beck  had  carried  on,  at  Nagasaki,  a  school  of  language 
which  was  largely  attended  by  Samurai,  or  two-sworded 
men,  of  the  powerful  Satsuma  clan.  Some  of  these  men 
became  prominent  in  the  new  order  of  things,  and  sum- 
moned their  former  teacher  to  Tokyo.  A  school  of 
language  was  organized  by  him  and  soon  given  entirely 
into  his  charge.  For  several  years  he  acted  as  adviser  of 
the  Government  in  regard  to  educational  matters.  Out 
of  this  school  of  language,  together  with  schools  of  med- 
icine and  engineering,  grew  the  University  of  to-day, 
with  its  120  instructors  and  more  than  700  students  in 
its  five  departments  of  Law,  Medicine,  Engineering, 
Literature  and  Science.  With  it  have  been  connected, 
at  different  times  during  its  earlier  years.  Dr.  W.  E. 
Griffis,  the  Rev.  E.  Warren  Clark,  Dr.  David  Murray, 
and  others  of  the  Reformed  Church.  At  one  time  nearly 
or  quite  half  the  instructors  were  Americans.  Of  late 
years  the  number  of  foreign  instructors  has  been  dimin- 
ishing, and,  I  believe,  Americans  have  entirely  disap- 
peared. 

Other  large  schools  are  to  be  found  in  Tokyo,  to  which 
1  have  briefly  alluded  in  a  former  letter.  Their  presence 
causes  a  large  influx  of  students  from  every  part  of  the 
empire,   numbering    probably    from    80,000    to    100,000. 


222  FAR  HENCE 

They  are  among  the  most  intelligent,  active,  restless  and 
patriotic  of  the  population.  If  their  restlessness  some- 
times degenerates  into  turbulence,  it  is  hardly  to  be 
wondered  at.  Young  Japan  is  ev^en  more  pronounced 
than  Young  America,  and  the  cry,  so  common  a  short 
time  ago,  ''Japan  for  the  Japanese,"  has  no  more  ardent 
advocates. 

The  "  Church  of  Christ  in  Japan  "  is  comparatively 
strong  in  Tokyo,  numbering  some  twenty  churches,  with 
a  membership,  respectively,  of  from  40  to  400  and  over, 
more  than  3,400  in  all.  Many  of  their  pastors  are  earnest, 
intelligent  and  devoted  men,  a  few  of  whom  it  was  my 
pleasure  to  meet.  My  great  regret,  which  will  be  also 
lasting,  was  that  I  could  not  see  all  of  them  face  to  face 
and  visit  their  churches,  especially  those  with  whose 
foundation  and  growth  our  own  Mission  has  been  more 
particularly  identified 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

KOBE,    THE    INLAND    SEA    AND    NAGASAKI. 

Tuesday,  July  19th,  found  us  again  at  sea  on  our  way 
to  Nagasaki.  This  was  somewhat  in  the  nature  of  a 
return  trip,  as  our  inability  to  stop  there  on  our  way 
up  made  it  necessary  to  retrace  our  steps  some  seven 
hundred  miles.  But  it  would  be  impossible  to  leave 
Japan  without  visiting  this  point,  of  so  much  general  and 
historic  interest,  and  of  such  special  importance  to  us  as 
the  centre  of  our  South  Japan  Mission,  and  the  seat  of 
the  "Steele  Memorial  College"  and  the  '' Sturges 
Seminary." 

I  must  pass  lightly  over  the  details  of  the  voyage — 
our  brief  stay  at  Kobe  and  the  charming  passage  through 
the  Inland  Sea.  At  Kobe,  a  thriving  city,  with  a  large 
and  growing  trade,  on  the  western  shore  of  the  Bay  of 
Osaka,  we  had  the  unexpected  pleasure  of  meeting  all 
the  members  of  the  mission  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian 
Church,  assembled  at  their  annual  meeting.  The  occa- 
sion that  brought  us  into  their  society  was  a  wedding, 
to  which  we  were  kindly  invited.  This  is  not  an 
essential  or  ordinary  element  of  a  mission  meeting.  But 
so  long  as  missionaries  are  but  men  and  women,  and 
not  angels,  they  may  be  expected  to  marry  and  be  given 
in  marriage,  and  such  occasions  bring  as  much  pleasure 
and  blessedness  on  mission  ground  as  on  any  other. 
Into  the  brightness  of  this  it  was  a  pleasure  to  be 
admitted,  and  to  meet  so  large,  so  happy,  so  devoted 
and  so  hopeful  a  company  of  laborers  in  the  Lord's 
vineyard  in  Japan.     In  fact,  whatever  may  be  the  peculiar 


224  .  FAR  HENCE 

difficulties  and  special  preplexities  and  problems  of  the 
work  in  Japan  at  the  present  time,  I  have  yet  to  meet 
the  first  missionary  who  does  not  take,  on  the  whole,  a 
hopeful  view  of  the  situation,  and  especially  of  the  future 
of  the  Church  and  Kingdom  of  Christ  in  this  Empire. 

Members  of  other  missions,  also,  were  present,  among 
them  Miss  Y.  May  King,  M.D.,  who  was  for  a  short 
time  connected  with  our  Mission  at  Amoy.  Miss  King 
is  now  a  member  of  the  Southern  Methodist  (U.  S.) 
Mission  at  Kobe,  has  a  home  and  dispensary  here,  and 
is  doing  an  excellent  work.  She  hopes  ere  long  to  have 
a  hospital  also  provided,  and  so  to  be  enabled  to  enlarge 
her  sphere  of  activity  and  usefulness.  At  her  hospitable 
table  we  were  privileged  to  dine,  the  following  evening, 
with  Bishop  Key  of  the  Southern  M.  E.  Church,  on  a 
tour  similar  to  our  own,  but  in  the  opposite  direction. 
It  was  part  of  his  errand  at  Kobe  to  organize  a  confer- 
ence, and  his  whole  soul  seemed  filled  with  enthusiasm 
by  what  he  has  seen  of  the  work.  He  had  come  directly 
from  home  to  Japan,  proposing  to  go  on  to  China  and  India, 
and  thus  spend  a  year.  "But  I  have  seen  so  much 
already,"  said  he,  ''  that  I  feel  like  giving  up  the  rest  and 
going  back  immediately  to  stir  up  the  churches  at 
home."  The  feeling  has  doubtless  grown  upon  him 
since — as  he  has  gone  from  field  to  field,  from  land  to 
land — of  the  utter  disproportion  between  the  forces 
furnished  by  the  churches  and  actually  engaged,  and  the 
work  that  waits.  It  cannot  but  grow  in  the  heart  of  any 
true  believer  in  Christ,  and  in  the  intent  and  authority 
of  His  last  command,  who  comes  into  contact  with  the 
multitudes  in  these  Eastern  lands,  who  looks  with 
sympathy  and  pity  on  their  condition  without  the 
Gospel,  sees  what  that  Gospel  has  already  done  among 
them,  and  realizes  how  wide  open  is  the  door  and  how 
great  the  need  for  larger  efforts. 


FAR    HENCE  225 

Of  the  passage  through  the  Inland  Sea  it  is  difficuit  to 
speak  in  terms  of  measured  soberness.  It  is  enchanting. 
The  sea,  inlocked  between  the  large  islands  of  Nippon 
and  Shikoku,  is  thickly  studded  with  countless  islands 
and  islets,  some  high  and  mountainous,  some  wild  and 
rocky,  some  crowned  with  forests,  some  cultivated,  terrace 
above  terrace,  from  shore  to  summit.  Numerous  fishing 
and  other  villages  dot  the  shores.  Small  steamers  ply 
among  the  islands,  and  innumerable  fishing-boats  and 
sailing  craft  dot  the  bosom  of  the  land-locked  bays. 
All  day  long,  from  dawn  till  dark,  we  sailed  through 
this  scene  of  enchantment,  through  passages  sometimes 
so  narrow  that  one  could  almost  toss  a  biscuit  to  shore 
on  either  hand,  and  on  the  forecastle  the  crew  stood 
ready  at  any  moment  to  drop  the  anchor  should  any- 
thing go  wrong.  The  tide  runs  so  strong  that  vessels 
are  sometimes  turned  completely  round.  The  changes 
were  so  constant,  and  the  rapidly  unfolding  beauty  so 
great  and  varied,  that  the  eye  never  wearied  of  gazing, 
and  it  was  hard  to  leave  the  deck.  Let  no  one  fail,  who 
visits  Japan,  to  sail  the  Inland  Sea. 

We  had  expected  to  be  in  Nagasaki  by  Saturday 
evening.  But  midnight  of  Friday  found  us  at  Shim- 
onoseki,  where  we  lay  at  anchor  till  daylight,  and  then 
spent  four  hours  taking  in  coal.  Emerging  from  the 
western  mouth  of  the  Shimonoseki  Strait,  the  rising 
wind  and  falling  barometer  admonished  us  of  the 
presence  of  a  typhoon  outside.  So  all  day,  till  three  or 
four  in  the  afternoon,  we  lay  under  the  shelter  of  a  large 
island  and  escaped  its  fury,  though  the  sea  into  which 
we  then  put  out  was  rough  enough.  It  was  Sunday 
morning  when  we  cast  anchor  in  Nagasaki  harbor,  and 
received  the  warm  welcome  of  the  brethren  there. 
Their  houses,  and  the  schools,  are  picturesquely  perched 
on  the  sides  of  a  steep  bluff  which  overlooks  the  town 


226  FAR  HENCE 

and  harbor.  Steep  stairways  of  stone,  or  paved  inclines 
of  easier  grade,  lead  up  to  the  higher  levels.  The  views, 
when  the  height  is  gained,  are  beautiful  in  the  extreme. 
The  harbor  is  long,  sinuous  and  not  very  wide,  resembling, 
somewhat,  a  section  of  the  Hudson  in  its  most  beautiful 
portion.  High  hills,  densely  wooded,  with  numerous 
bays  and  indentations,  shut  it  in  on  either  side.  At  its 
entrance  lies  the  singular,  conical-shaped  island  of 
Pappenberg,  seeming  to  stand  guard  against  unwelcome 
intruders.  The  foreign  settlement,  with  its  business  and 
offices,  stands  on  the  flat  below,  while  the  homes  of  the 
foreign  residents,  merchants,  etc.,  seek  the  slopes  and 
summits  of  the  hills.  Beyond  it,  on  the  shore,  is  the 
island  Deshima,  to  which,  in  former  times,  the  few 
Dutch  merchants  who  were  allowed  to  reside  here,  were 
confined.  Some  of  the  houses  they  occupied  are  still 
standing,  and  in  use  for  purposes  of  trade.  The  native 
town  stretches  along  the  shore  for  miles,  and  up  the 
valleys  between  the  hills,  a  compact  mass  of  low  houses 
teeming  with  human  life.  Upon  the  water  numerous 
steamers,  large  and  small,  lay  at  anchor,  with  junks  and 
small  boats  innumerable.  The  arrival  and  departure  of 
the  former  and  the  movements  of  the  latter  gave  anima- 
tion to  the  scene.  The  view  at  night,  when  every  vessel 
bore  its  lantern,  and  hundreds  of  lights  glimmered 
belov/,  seeming  to  rival  in  multitude  the  stars  in  the 
heaven  above,  was  like  a  glimpse  of  fairyland.  Prominent 
among  the  shipping  were  the  vessels  composing  the 
Asiatic  squadron  of  our  own  navy,  each  with  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  floating  from  the  peak.  It  Was  a  welcome 
sight  to  exiles  far  from  home.  A  Russian  man-of-war, 
far  larger  and  more  formidable  looking,  lay  just  below 
them.  It  was  a  grateful  sound  and  graceful  compli- 
ment when  a  day  or  two  later,  as  she  left  the  port,  her 
band  played  ''  Hail  Columbia  !  " 


FAR  HENCE  227 

Needless  to  say  that  all  these  observations  were  not 
made  that  early  Sunday  morning.  Escorted  by  Messrs. 
Stout  and  Pieters  and  Miss  Lanterman,  we  left  the  good 
ship  "  Kobe  Maru,"  and  climbed  the  hill  to  the  hospita- 
ble homes  that  had  so  long  waited  to  receive  us.  Thence, 
after  breakfast,  to  the  morning  service  in  the  native 
church,  where  some  words  would  certainly  be  expected 
from  the  new-comer.  These  he  was  glad  to  give,  though 
upon  such  short  notice,  and  also  to  baptize  two  infant 
children,  the  sons  of  Pastor  Segawa  and  Principal 
Ohgimi  of  "Steele."  The  absence  of  the  scholars  of 
both  schools  made  a  sensible  difference  in  the  size  of 
the  congregation.  Yet  it  was  cheering  to  meet  the 
brethren  of  the  church,  its  permanent  representatives 
among  the  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of  this  large 
city.  It  has  been  hard  soil  here  to  cultivate  in  the  past. 
But  a  brighter  day  seems  to  have  dawned  already,  for 
the  Church  in  Nagasaki  and  in  all  the  region  dependent 
upon  it. 

For  nine  years,  from  1859,  Dr.  Verbeck  alone  repre- 
sented the  Reformed  Church  here.  No  direct  missionary 
work,  could  then  be  done,  but  the  foundation  for 
future  work  both  here  and  elsewhere,  by  himself  and 
others,  were  faithfully  laid.  Here,  too,  some  of  the  first 
and  most  notable  converts  were  gathered  and  baptized 
by  him.  The  history  of  missions  contains  few  more 
interesting  and  thrilling  stories  than  that  of  the  discovery 
of  a  new  testament  floating  on  the  water  by  Wakasa,  and 
his  subsequent  conversion  to  Christ  through  its  instru- 
mentality. 

For  more  than  nine  years  longer,  I  believe,  the  post 
was  occupied  alone  by  Mr.  Stout.  What  one  man  could 
do  he  did.  But  if  the  work  grew  slowly,  the  Church 
itself  was  largely  responsible  by  with  holding  the  help 
for  which  he  plead   so  long   and   earnestly.      In   later 


228  FAR  HENCE 

years  help  has  been  given,  though  not  yet  according  to 
the  need,  and  now  three  missionary  families  and  the  two 
flourishing  boarding-schools  for  boys  and  girls,  with 
three  churches  and  twenty-six  outstations,  represent  the 
strength  and,  in  some  measure,  the  results  of  this  Mission, 
and  its  claim  upon  the  sympathy,  the  prayers  and  the 
further  aid  of  the  Church. 

The  ^'Steele  School"  or  "College,"  as  it  is  proposed  to 
call  it,  has  a  fine  building  finely  located  on  the  southern 
spur  of  the  hill  of  which  I  have  already  spoken.  This 
building,  as  is  known  to  many,  was  the  gift  of  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Steele,  for  many  years  the  President  of  our 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  in  perpetual  memory  of  his 
son,  Wm.  H.  Steele,  Jr.  Its  wide  hall,  commodious 
chapel  and  recitation  and  lecture  rooms,  admirably  adapt 
it  for  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  designed.  The 
dormitories,  in  Japanese  style,  the  kitchen  and  dining- 
room,  and  other  adjuncts  of  the  school,  form  a  much 
humbler  edifice  in  the  rear.  The  froiit  is  unobstructed, 
commands  a  noble  view  of  the  harbor,  and  is  open  to 
every  breeze — a  matter  of  great  importance  in  such  a 
climate  as  this.  Another  building  still,  contains  a  few 
sleeping  apartments  and  a  fine  gymnasium,  which  is 
also  used  for  public  entertainments  and  commencement 
exercises.  The  great  need  of  the  school  at  present  is 
larger  accommodation  for  boarders,  experience  showing 
that  this  class  is  much  more  desirable  and  fuller  of 
promise  than  alike  number  of  day-scholars.  By  a  some- 
what recent  change  in  the  plan  of  conduct  the  Rev.  M. 
Ohgimi,  well-known  to  many  in  the  Church  at  home, 
has  been  placed  at  the  head  of  the  institution.  He  has 
entered  upon  his  duties  with  zeal  and  discretion,  and  the 
arrangement  has  thus  far  proved  eminently  satisfactory. 
Connected  with  the  grounds  occupied  by  the  school  is 
space   sufficient    for  another   house,   which  it    is   hoped 


FAR  HENCE  229 

may  some  day  be  erected  for  the  occupancy  of  the 
missionary  who  may  teach  in  the  school. 

Proceeding  northward  we  reach  the  house  occupied  by 
Mr.  Oltmans  and  his  growing  family,  which  should  come 
down  and  be  replaced  before  it  tumbles  in  on  their  heads. 
Thence,  still  northward,  a  short  walk  brings  us  to  Mr. 
Stout's,  and  passing  this  a  few  steps  only  we  come  to  the 
Sturges  Seminary.  Its  grounds  immediately  adjoin 
those  of  Mr.  Stout,  and,  though  on  a  slightly  lower  level, 
they  are  still  raised  far  above  the  street,  to  which  a  high 
stone  wall  descends  and  a  steep  flight  of  stone  steps 
leads  down.  The  original  building  stands  almost  on 
the  edge  of  a  precipice.  It  contains  pleasant  rooms 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  ladies  in  charge,  for 
recitation  and  for  sleeping  apartments  for  a  small 
number  of  scholars.  The  new  building,  added  two 
years  ago,  supplies  rooms  for  a  much  larger  number, 
all  finished  and  furnished  in  Japanese  style  and  capti- 
vating in  their  simple  neatness.  Of  this  school,  also,  a 
Japanese  gentleman,  Mr.  Saito,  has  been  made  principal, 
with  happy  results.  It  was  gratifying  to  learn  that, 
while  mission  schools  for  girls  generally  throughout  the 
Empire  have  to  deplore  a  decline  in  the  number  of 
scholars,  the  number  in  attendance  on  "Sturges"  is 
steadily  increasing.  We  found  Miss  Lanterman  looking 
forward  with  bright  anticipations  to  the  coming  year — 
anticipations  that  have  been  abundantly  verified  so  far  as 
the  school  is  concerned,  but  which  she,  alas  !  was  not 
permitted  to  realize.  It  lends,  and  will  always  lend,  a 
shade  of  peculiar  sadness  to  the  memory  of  our  brief 
visit,  that  she  who  seemed  so  bright  and  full  of  earnest 
purpose  should  have  been  called  away  so  soon. 

We  were  assured  that  our  delay  in  coming  had  been  a 
grievous  disappointment  to  the  scholars  of  both  these 
schools,  as  it  certainly  was  to  us,  however  unavoidable. 


230  FAR    HENCE 

They  had  entered  with  zest  into  hearty  preparations  for 
a  rousing  Japanese  welcome.  It  would  have  been  a 
happy  thing  to  see  them.  But  we  were  too  late.  None 
of  the  girls  remained,  and  we  saw  only  a  few  lads  who 
preferred  to  remain  and  study  during  the  vacation  rather 
than  return  to  their  homes.  But  the  principals  and 
teachers  of  the  two  schools,  together  with  Pastor  Segawa, 
invited  us  to  a  regular  Japanese  dinner,  an  invitation 
which  I  alone  was  able  to  accept.  It  was  given  in  one  of 
the  best  native  restaurants,  or  tea-houses,  at  some  dis- 
tance from  the  mission  houses.  The  spot  was  beautifully 
chosen,  half-way  up  the  hillside,  under  the  shade  of  noble 
trees,  the  whole  front  open  to  the  south,  whence  came  a 
refreshing  breeze.  There,  seated  on  the  floor,  with  shoes 
removed  —  the  smooth  mats  scrupulously  clean  —  we 
passed  two  pleasant  hours.  Course  after  course  was 
brought  in  in  lacquered  trays — largely  of  fish  of  various 
kinds  and  in  various  styles  of  preparation,  from  raw  fish 
in  thin  slices,  to  baked  and  boiled  and  broiled — the  whole 
culminating,  according  to  custom,  in  bowls  of  rice.  But 
the  viands  were  the  least  interesting  part  of  the  enter- 
tainment. Though  the  only  American  present,  and  utterly 
innocent  of  any  knowledge  of  Japanese,  I  found  Messrs. 
Ohgimi  and  Segawa  such  adepts  in  English  that  con- 
versation was  easy  with  them,  and  through  them  with 
the  others,  and  the  hours  passed  swiftly.  Indeed  it  was 
necessary  to  cut  short  the  time  one  would  have  been  glad 
to  spend  in  such  association  and  surroundings,  in  order 
to  take  the  steamer  which  was  to  bear  us  back  to  Kobe. 
I  had  meant  to  speak  of  other  pleasures  enjoyed  at 
Nagasaki,  especially  of  the  delightful  evenings,  and  of 
visits,  one  with  Mr.  Stout  to  the  house  of  a  dear,  old 
English  lady,  Mrs.  Goodall,  who  has  a  home  for  girls, 
maintained  at  her  own  charges,  where  she  trains  them 
under  her  own  eye  to  be  useful  Christian  women — a  most 


FAR    HENCE  231 

blessed  work,  and  sure  to  have  its  blessed  rewards,  of 
one  with  Mr.  Oltmans  to  the  U.  S.  S.  "  Lancaster,"  where 
it  was  a  pleasure  to  meet  three  Christian  officers  ;  and 
of  another  with  Messrs.  Oltmans  and  Pieters  and  their 
families  to  Pappenberg,  the  island  famed  as  the  spot 
where  thousands  of  Christians,  more  than  two  centuries 
ago,  were  hurled  from  the  summit  to  the  rocks  and  the 
sea  beneath,  "  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus."  We  climbed 
to  the  summit,  and  found  it  hard  to  believe  the  truth  of 
the  story.  In  fact,  I  believe  there  is  no  record  anywhere 
written  to  confirm  it.  But  the  tradition  will  doubtless 
always  hang  around  the  spot. 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

KYOTO    THE    WESTERN    CAPITAL    AND    MISHIMA. 

Our  stay  in  Nagasaki  was  all  too  short.  The  work  in 
Kiu  Shiu  was  for  many  years  slow,  hard  and  discourag- 
ing, the  people  showing  themselves  peculiarly  bigoted 
and  unsusceptible,  even  when  not  hostile,  to  the  truth. 
Of  late  years  a  marked  change  has  taken  place,  and,  per- 
haps, few  regions  in  Japan  have  offered  more  encourage- 
ment in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  effort  expended  on 
the  work  of  evangelization.  It  would  have  been  a  pleasure 
and  a  privilege  to  visit  Saga  and  other  outstations  more 
remote,  and  see  something  of  the  field  occupied  by  the 
mission,  and  the  results  of  labor,  as  well  as  some  of  the 
natural  features  and  beauties  of  the  island.  But  necessity 
forbade,  and  regrets  were  useless. 

Nothing  can  ever  mar  or  obliterate  the  impression  of 
the  preeminent  beauty  of  Nagasaki  and  its  surroundings 
among  all  the  stations  we  visited.  We  counted  our  good 
friends  happy  in  having  their  lot  cast  amid  such  delight- 
ful scenes,  and  left  them  with  the  prayer  that  the  beauty 
of  the  Lord  our  God  might  also  be  upon  them,  and  the 
work  of  their  hands  even  more  abundantly  established. 

The  good  ship  *'Verona"  received  us  on  the  afternoon  of 
July  27th,  and,  farewells  exchanged,  we  were  soon  steam- 
ing down  the  harbor,  rounding  Pappenbergand  standing 
out  to  sea,  our  faces  set  for  Kobe,  Yokohama,  and  home. 
At  Kobe  we  left  the  steamer  for  overland  journey  by  rail, 
and  were  met  by  Mr,  Ballagh,  who  had  kindly  come 
down  to  act  as  escort  to  Yokohama.  Here,  also,  we  were  so 
fortunate  as  to  fall  in  with  Dr.  T.  Romeyn  Beck  and  his 


FAR  HENCE  233 

good  wife,  formerly  of  Hope  College.  The  doctor  has 
for  several  years  been  engaged  in  teaching  in  the  high 
school  in  Yamaguchi,  and  seems  to  have  been  remarkably 
successful  in  winning  the  confidence  and  good  will  of  the 
school  authorities  and  the  people.  The  contracts  with 
him  have  been  repeatedly  renewed,  and  a  building  pro- 
vided in  which  he  is  allowed  to  hold  Bible  classes,  and 
impart  religious  instruction.  Without  delaying  at  Kobe 
we  proceeded  the  same  morning  by  rail  to  Kyoto. 

This  city,  called  also  Sai  Kyo,  or  the  Western  Capital, 
is  the  ''  sacred  city  "  of  Japan.  Here  for  a  thousand  years 
the  Mikado,  Son  of  Heaven,  held  his  court  religiously 
secluded  from  the  sight  of,  and  contact  with,  the  people 
of  whom  he  was  the  ostensible  ruler.  Hence,  when  re- 
stored to  actual  sovereignty,  he  removed  his  court  to 
Tokyo.  The  situation  is  well  chosen  and  beautiful 
with  surrounding  and  overshadowing  mountains.  The 
palace  grounds  are  extensive,  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  but 
closed  from  public  view.  Temples  great  and  small 
abound,  some  of  them  of  great  size  and  magnificence. 
It  is  the  centre  and  stronghold  of  Buddhist  faith  and 
propagandism,  having  more  than  3,000  Buddhist  temples 
and  8,000  priests.  Foreigners  were  for  a  long  time 
rigorously  excluded.  There  was  pointed  out  to  us,  as 
the  train  neared  the  station,  the  walls  of  an  extensive 
school  for  Buddhist  priests,  a  theological  seminary  in 
fact,  in  which  the  Bible  is  said  to  be  used  as  a  text  book, 
and  where  destructive  criticism  of  the  Book  of  books  may 
be  supposed  to  have  full  course.  It  is  noted  also  for  its 
manufactures,  and  purchasers  of  such  things  are  fasci- 
nated and  go  wild  over  the  stores  of  embroidery,  por- 
celain, and  goods  and  curios  of  various  sorts  that  are 
here  displayed.  Its  streets  are  broad,  laid  out  at  right 
angles  with  methodical  exactness  and  kept  scrupulously 
clean,  while  large  public  squares  afford  ample  breathing 


234  FAR  HENCE 

space.  In  many  respects  it  is  the  most  attractive  and  in- 
teresting city  in  Japan. 

Nor  is  it  less  interesting  as  a  centre  of  missionary 
operations.  For  here  is  the  most  important  station  of 
the  American  Board  in  the  Empire,  with  its  noble  com- 
pany of  missionaries  and  the  famed  Doshisha  University, 
with  which  the  name  of  Joseph  Neesima  will  be  forever 
inseparably  connected. 

The  American  Presbyterian  Church  (North),  and  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of  North  America  have  also 
each  a  station  here.  We  were  not  so  fortunate  as  to  find 
any  of  the  missionaries  of  the  American  Board  in  their 
homes.  It  was  vacation  time  and  all  were  scattered  to 
their  summer  retreats  among  the  hills,  but  Brother  Porter, 
of  the  Presbyterian  Mission,  kindly  conducted  us  through 
the  city,  and  Brother  Gring,  of  the  Episcopal  Mission, 
hospitably  entertained  us  for  the  night. 

The  "Doshisha,"  though  not  properly  an  institution  of 
the  American  Board,  was  established  and  has  grown  to 
its  present  proportions  under  its  fostering  care.  A  goodly 
number  of  its  instructors  are  missionaries  of  that  Board. 
The  title  "Doshisha,"  meaning  "One  Purpose  Com- 
pany," has  no  reference  to  the  character  of  the  institution, 
but  simply  to  the  organization  or  corporation  formed  by 
Mr.  Neesima  and  others  for  the  purpose  of  establishing 
it.  Begun  in  1875  with  many  misgivings  and  many  dis- 
couragements, it  has  had  a  remarkable  growth.  Friends 
have  been  raised  up  for  it  in  America  and  in  Japan,  large 
sums  have  been  given  for  purposes  of  endowment,  pur- 
chase of  land  and  erection  of  buildings,  while  the  two 
teachers  and  eight  pupils  of  1875  have  increased  to  a 
faculty  of  forty,  with  more  than  500  students  in  1892.  As 
we  visited  the  grounds  lying  north  of  the  palace  grounds, 
and  inspected  the  imposing  array  of  buildings  substan- 
tially built  of  brick,  recitation  halls,  Science  Hall,  Chapel 


FAR  HENCE  235 

and  Library  (on  another  square),  and  saw  the  excava- 
tions in  progress  for  the  erection  of  still  another,  Divinity 
Hall,  it  was  hard  to  know  which  most  to  admire,  the 
wisdom  and  faith  that  had  wrought  to  secure  such 
tangible  results  or  the  blessing  of  God  which  has  at- 
tended them. 

It  was  hard  also  to  repress  a  wish  that  friends  might 
be  found  in  the  churches  represented  in  work  for  the 
(United)  "  Church  of  Christ  in  Japan,"  the  Presbyterian 
and  Reformed  Churches  in  America,  who  would  make 
like  generous  provision  for  the  efficiency  and  permanent 
establishment  of  the  Meiji  Gakuin  at  Tokyo.  The  needs 
are  as  great,  the  field  of  influence  certainly  as  wide,  if 
not  wider,  and  the  promise  to  faith  and  liberality  as  en- 
couraging in  Tokyo  as  here.  In  fact,  as  Tokyo  is  now 
the  political  and  educational  centre  of  Japan,  it  would 
seem  to  be  the  place,  of  all  others,  for  a  well  endowed, 
thoroughly  equipped  and  thoroughly  Christian  Uni- 
versity. 

To  the  eastward  of  the  city,  shutting  it  in  and  over- 
looking it,  is  a  range  of  hills  crowded  with  temples,  some 
of  them  of  great  age  and  magnificence,  and  with  abodes 
of  numerous  priests.  Some  of  the  principal  of  these 
temples  we  saw,  the  Buddhist  Chion-in  the  Shinto  Gion 
and  Kiomidzu.  I  would  like  to  describe  them  and  their 
surroundings  but  time  and  space  forbid.  Of  the  first, 
which  was  also  the  largest  and  handsomest,  we  were  told 
that  it  was  very  heavily  mortgaged  and  in  danger  of  be- 
ing sold.  This  fate  has  overtaken  many  of  the  temples 
in  Kyoto  of  late  years,  through  the  falling  off  in  revenue, 
so  that  now  it  is  said  there  are  300  less  than  a  few  years 
ago.  But  the  decline  in  popular  interest  and  faith  which 
this  seems  to  show  may  be  offset  by  the  Higashi  Hong- 
wanji  temple  now  in  process  of  erection  in  another  part 
of  the  city.     We  saw  it  the  next  day,  the  only  really  new 


236  FAR  HENCE 

temple  we  did  see  in  Japan.  It  is  immense  and  mag- 
nificent. Ten  years  and  millions  of  dollars  have  been 
spent  in  building  it.  It  was  to  have  been  finished  in 
1892,  but  is  far  from  complete.  It  has  been  the  object  of 
widespread  popular  interest  and  contribution.  On  the 
broad  verandah  or  colonade  which  encompasses  it  lay,  in 
large  coils,  the  cables  made  of  women's  hair  contributed 
in  a  spirit  of  devotion,  with  which  the  huge  timbers  used 
for  pillars,  frames  and  rafters  were  hauled  from  the 
forests  and  hoisted  to  their  place.  Twenty-nine  such 
cables,  a  little  hand  bill  informed  us,  had  been  worn  out 
in  the  process,  while  twenty-four  remain  still  intact. 
How  many  women  must  have  sacrificed  that  which  is 
everywhere  regarded  as  one  of  her  greatest  adornments, 
that  this  house  might  be  built.  "  The  glory  of  a  woman 
is  her  hair,"  and  nowhere  is  this  more  true  than  in  Japan. 

Characteristic  of  this  multitude  of  temples,  as  else- 
where also,  are  the  temple  bells.  In  the  enclosure  of  the 
Chion-in  hung  one  of  the  largest,  10.8  feet  in  height,  nine 
feet  in  diameter,  9-I  inches  thick,  and  weighing  more  than 
seventy  tons.  It  hung  suspended  in  a  wooden  tower 
distinct  from  the  temple  itself.  These  bells  are  rung,  not 
with  a  metal  clapper  as  with  us,  but  by  the  swinging 
against  them  of  a  stick  of  timber  suspended  outside  and 
operating  like  a  battering  ram. 

The  sound  is  therefore  softened  and  free  from  metallic 
clangor,  and  the  soft  prolonged  resonance  of  the  bells  is 
remarkable,  and  delightful  to  the  ear.  Few  experiences 
have  been  more  charming  than  the  tones  of  these  in- 
numerable bells  in  the  early  morning  of  the  next  day, 
blending  in  sweetest  harmony  and  filling  the  air  with 
their  tremulous  vibrations.  It  was  like  being  roused  from 
sleep  by  the  "  music  of  the  spheres." 

Shrill,  strident  and  discordant,  a  noisy  steam  whistle 
broke  in  upon  the  music  and  murdered  it  and  sleep  to- 


FAR    HENCE  237 

gether.  So  discordant  and  repulsive,  I  dare  say,  in  the 
estimation  of  many  has  the  civilization  of  which  the 
steam  whistle  is  one  of  the  most  characteristic  voices, 
broken  in  upon  the  repose  of   ages  in  this  island  empire. 

From  Kyoto  to  Nagoya  our  course  lay  next,  to  spend 
the  Sabbath  in  the  latter.  On  the  way  thither  we  passed 
through  the  region  devastated  by  the  earthquake  of 
October  1891.  The  wide  extent  and  terrible  effects  of 
that  catastrophe  place  it  among  the  most  destructive  of 
such  convulsions  in  the  annals  of  the  world.  Many  traces 
of  it  still  remained  in  heaps  of  ruins,  roofs  of  houses 
propped  upon  timbers  for  temporary  shelter,  buildings 
in  process  of  restoration  and  the  like. 

Yet  it  was  surprising  to  find  how  far  the  work  of  re- 
covery had  gone.  Doubtless  this  was  more  evident 
along  the  railway  than  in  the  interior  districts.  Yet  one 
could  not  fail  to  be  impressed  with  the  marks  of  energy 
and  hope  displayed  after  a  disaster  that  seemed  fitted  to 
crush  out  hope  and  energy  together.  Nagoya  itself, 
though  removed  somewhat  from  the  centre  of  disturb- 
ance, suffered  severely,  and  the  tales  told  us  of  ruin, 
danger  and  escape  were  thrilling  indeed.  Of  all  the 
calamities  to  which  men  are  exposed  there  would  seem 
to  be  none  more  appalling  than  this.  A  slight  shock  in 
the  middle  of  our  first  night  served  as  a  reminder  of  what 
had  been,  and  a  suggestion  of  what  might  be.  It  was 
sufficient. 

Out  of  the  calamity,  as  so  often  happens  in  the  provi- 
dence of  God,  good  has  resulted.  The  self-denying 
labors,  the  quickly  extended  aid  and  sympathy  of  Chris- 
tian people,  native  and  foreign,  did  much  to  break  down 
prejudice  and  open  the  way  for  the  Gospel.  One  of  the 
most  touching  and  Christlike  fruits  we  saw  in  the  or- 
phanage established  here  for  children,  whose  parents 
perished  in  that  awful  time.     It  is  a  branch   of  the  work 


238  FAR    HENCE 

begun  by  Mr.  Ishii  at  Okayama.  Mr.  Ishii  is  a  most  re- 
markable man,  who  seems  as  truly  called  of  God  to  work 
of  this  sort,  and  to  have  been  as  distinctly  guided  and 
blessed  by  Him  in  it,  as  George  Muller,  of  Bristol,  Eng- 
land. His  work  is  conducted  on  the  same  principles  of 
prayer  and  faith,  and  many  are  the  instances  of  striking 
interpositions  on  its  behalf  in  answer  to  prayer.  We 
found  more  than  forty  little  ones  in  the  orphanage  at 
Nagoya,  under  a  man  who  seemed  every  way  likeminded 
with  his  principal.  His  sympathy  with  the  children  and 
their  confidence  in  him  were  evident  and  touching. 

On  Sabbath  morning  we  worshipped  with  the  con- 
gregation connected  with  the  Southern  Presbyterian 
Mission.  The  Rev.  R.  E.  McAlpine,  Mr.  Ballagh's  son- 
in-law,  is  stationed  here  and  has  charge  of  the  work. 
The  M.  E.  Mission  is  well  represented  here,  also,  and  in 
the  afternoon  a  union  meeting  was  held  in  their  com- 
modious church,  at  which,  by  invitation,  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  making  the  principal  address.  Few  things 
are  more  delightful  on  mission  ground  than  the  spirit  of 
sympathy  and  fellowship  which  prevails  among  workers 
of  almost  every  denomination.  May  that  spirit  never  be 
less.  After  service  we  went  to  call  on  Mr.  Higashi,  one 
of  the  earliest,  if  not  the  very  earliest.  Christians  here. 
Unfortunately  the  old  gentleman  was  away  from  home. 
His  dwelling  is  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  and  quite 
humble  in  appearance,  of  low  rooms  and  narrow  pas- 
sages leading  out  upon  a  garden.  It  was  quite  character- 
istic that  the  old  lady,  our  absent  friend's  wife,  received 
us  modestly  and  with  no  word  of  apology,  though 
stripped  to  the  waist,  and  engaged  in  washing  her  grand- 
children in  the  bath  tub.  It  was  equally  significant  of 
the  change  which  had  come  over  the  spirit  of  royalty  to 
be  told  that  the  Emperor  himself  was  once  entertained 
in  this  humble  home. 


FAR  HENCE  239 

The  next  day  found  us  at  Shidzuoka  where  we  passed 
tlie  night.  Much  of  the  day  was  spent  in  searching  for 
a  more  desirable  location  for  the  pastor,  and  meeting 
place  for  the  little  company  of  believers.  It  enabled  us  to 
make  quite  the  circuit  of  this  old  castle  town,  visit  its 
most  noted  temple,  and  pass,  though  we  did  not  enter, 
the  spot  where  the  last  Shogun  dwells  in  peaceful  retire- 
ment, "far  from  the  madding  crowd,"  and  the  strife  of 
court  and  camp.  In  the  evening  the  church  members 
met  with  us  at  the  home  of  Pastor  Ito.  It  illustrated  the 
patience  of  these  brethren  that  they  listened  attentively 
to  the  secretary  (and  his  interpreter)  for  an  hour,  and 
then  to  Brother  Ballagh  independently  for  another  thirty 
minutes. 

We  rose  at  four  the  next  morning,  and  by  5.15  were  on 
our  way,  with  Pastor  Ito  in  company,  to  Numadzu  and 
Mishima.  We  reached  the  latter  place  after  an  hour's  ride 
in  rikishas  at  7.45.  Here  is  the  building  once  a  saki 
brewery,  now  transformed  into  a  school  and  church  by 
the  generous  gift  of  one  of  the  Christians  of  the  place, 
Mr.  Hanajima.  The  seats  are  made  from  the  old  saki 
casks  or  vats,  a  number  of  which,  still  in  existence,  but 
dry  and  dusty,  we  saw  through  a  small  door  in  the  rear 
of  the  church,  in  an  apartment  appropriately  dark.  Here 
in  the  upper  story  Miss  Lizzie  Ballagh  has  lived  for  years, 
the  only  foreigner  in  the  town,  conducting  a  school  for 
girls.  It  is  a  lonely  and  self-sacrificing  position,  its  only 
rewards  to  be  found  in  the  consciousness  of  serving  the* 
Lord — and  in  the  influence  exerted  for  good  on  the  lives 
of  her  pupils. 

Mishima  is  famed  for  its  beauty,  its  abundant  springs 
gushing  free,  cold  and  clear  from  the  earth  and  amid  rocks, 
forming  when  united  a  considerable  stream,  and  for  its 
Shinto  temple.  It  adds  to  its  laurels  a  visit  from  General 
Grant.     We  followed  humbly  in  his  footsteps  and  saw 


240  FAR  HEACE 

the  objects  on  which  his  eyes  rested,  little  changed  since 
theji .  The  same  pool — filled  with  carp  and  gold  fish,  some 
of  them  of  immense  size — boiled  like  a  pot  with  their 
motions  when  food  was  thrown  to  them.  The  same  huge 
temple  court,  overshadowed  by  great  trees,  swarmed 
with  flocks  of  pigeons  and  barn-yard  fowl,  and  in  the 
temple,  perhaps,  the  same  priest  was  performing  his 
worship  in  behalf  of  two  suppliants  who  knelt  and  bowed 
behind  him,  clapping  his  hands,  waving  a  bunch  of  paper 
streamers  and  prostrating  himself  before  the  various 
shrines. 

Thence  returning  to  Numadzu,  we  took  train  for 
Gotemba,  skirting  the  base  of  Fujiyama,  "  peerless " 
always,  but  coyly  hiding  her  peerlessness  in  masses  of 
cloud  reaching  half-way  down.  To  Gotemba  many 
residents  of  Yokohama  come  for  the  summer,  weary  of 
the  heat.  The  eye  is  soothed  by  masses  of  living 
green,  and  rests  on  prospects  of  surpassing  beauty,  while 
the  cooler  air  gives  vigor  to  the  enfeebled  frame.  Here 
again  we  met  a  little  company  of  faithful  ones,  as  well  as 
some  missionary  friends,  and  spoke  to  them  of  the  things 
of  the  Kingdom.  Here,  too.  Brother  Ballagh  forsook 
me  to  make  his  way  with  a  party  of  friends  to  the  sum- 
mit of  Fuji,  while  I  made  mine  to  Yokohama  through 
scenes  of  beauty,  mountain,  vale  and  sea,  which  I  do  not 
dare  attempt  to  describe. 


L-^'Si^ 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

LAST    LOOK    AT    YOKOHAMA. 

It  would  be  a  shame  to  take  leave  of  Japan  without  a 
few  words  more  concerning  Yokohama.  Not  specially 
interesting  in  itself,  perhaps,  it  has  yet  a  special  interest 
by  reason  of  its  connection  with  the  beginnings  of  the 
Mission  work  which  is  now  so  widely  extended  through 
the  empire,  and  also  by  reason  of  that  which  still  centres 
and  is  carried  on  in  it.  The  *'  first  things  "  were  found 
and  done  here  in  a  remarkable  degree. 

When  Drs.  Hepburn  and  Brown  first  came  to  Japan, 
Yokohama  had  no  existence,  save  as  a  small  fishing  vil- 
lage, yet  here  the  negotiations  were  held  and  the  inter- 
change of  national  gifts  and  communications,  by  Com. 
Perry,  which  resulted  in  the  opening  of  Japan.  In  1861, 
or  thereabout,  it  became  the  place  of  foreign  residence, 
merchant,  missionary  and  others,  instead  of  Kanagawa, 
across  the  bay,  where  they  at  first  resided.  Here  Dr. 
Brown  pursued  with  others  the  work  of  translation  of 
the  scriptures,  with  which  his  name  will  be  inseparably 
linked,  and  of  which  he  was  permitted  to  see  the  com- 
pletion, so  far  as  the  New  Testament  is  concerned,  be- 
fore his  death.  Here,  too,  he  gathered  and  carried  for- 
ward that  class  of  young  men  from  whom  were  drawn 
not  only  some  of  the  earliest  converts  and  members  of 
the  church  but  also  some  of  its  best  and  most  faithful 
preachers  and  pastors  of  to-day. 

Here,  in  1864,  the  first  convert,  so  far  as  known,  Yano 
Riu,  was  baptized  in  secret  by  Mr.  Ballagh,  and  the  first 
Protestant  church  organized  by  him  with  eleven  mem- 


242  FAR  HENCE 

bers  in  1872.  It  was  organized  as,  and  styled,  a  ''Union 
Church,"  as  if  in  unconscious  prophecy  of  that  larger 
union  which  has  since  been  formed,  of  all  the  Presby- 
terian and  Reformed  churches  and  workers,  called  at 
first  the  "Union  Church  of  Christ,"  and  now  simply  the 
"Church  of  Christ  in  Japan,"  with  its  72  churches  and 
10,862  members,  its  6  Classes,  or  Presbyteries,  and  its 
Synod.  The  old  mother  church,  the  "  Kaigan,"  of  Yoko- 
hama, still  retains  not  only  historical  but  numerical  pre- 
eminence, having  a  membership  of  nearly  or  quite  700. 
This  year  it  celebrated  the  twentieth  anniversary  of  its 
foundation,  an  occasion  of  peculiar  interest,  at  which, 
however,  it  was  not  my  privilege  to  be  present.  But  I 
was  privileged,  on  the  second  Sunday  of  my  stay,  to 
attend  the  morning  service  in  the  fine  large  church, 
erected  under  Mr.  Ballagh's  supervision,  listen  to  a  ser- 
mon by  Pastor  Inagaki,  and  then  sit  with  him  and  his 
people  at  the  table  of  the  Lord.  The  number  of  commu- 
nicants was  large,  and  as  the  eye  and  heart  embraced 
them,  and  the  mind  traveled  back  to  the  small  begin- 
nings, only  twenty  years  ago,  it  was  impossible  to  resist 
the  profound  impression  of  what  God  had  already 
wrought,  and  how  widely  and  effectually  He  had  opened 
the  door  of  the  faith  to  these  dwellers  in  this  island  em- 
pire, nor  the  equally  profound  conviction  that  that  door 
never  can  be  shut. 

A  peculiar  interest  attaches  to  this  church  building, 
from  the  fact  that  $1,000  was  contributed  by  Christian 
natives  of  Hawaii,  or  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  used  in 
its  erection.  By  a  happy  arrangement  with  the  Japanese 
church,  it  is  used  every  Sabbath,  immediately  after  the 
dispersion  of  the  native  congregation,  for  an  English 
service  by  the  Union  Church.  This  church  is  composed 
of  foreigners  of  various  nationalities  and  church  affilia- 
tions, and  has  a  considerable  membership,  with  an  able 


FAR  HENCE  243 

and  acceptable  pastor,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Meacham,  of  Canada. 
As  he  was  then  at  home  in  Canada,  we  did  not  have  the 
pleasure  of  meeting  him.  But  I  heard  much  that  was 
excellent  of  his  influence  and  work.  Such  a  church  and 
such  a  pastor  must  be  a  power  for  good  among  the  for- 
eign residents,  self-exiled  from  their  homes,  and  re- 
moved both  from  the  helps  and  from  the  restraints  to 
which  they  have  been  accustomed.  It  is  a  sad  fact,  to 
which  I  have  referred  before,  that  the  lives  of  many  so- 
called  Christians  in  foreign  ports  reflect  anything  but 
honor  on  the  name  they  bear.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say 
of  them,  in  the  strong  language  of  Scripture,  that  the 
name  of  Christ  is  blasphemed  among  the  heathen  be- 
cause of  them.  Among  them  originate  and  freely  circu- 
late those  stories  of  the  idle,  useless  lives  and  unworthy 
character  of  missionaries,  which  are  poured  into  the 
ears  of  new  comers  or  of  travelers  upon  the  decks  of 
steamers.  Bandied  from  mouth  to  mouth  they  grow 
more  and  more  distorted  and  untruthful,  till  the 
hearer  is  amazed  and  then  bewildered,  or  even,  per- 
haps, convinced.  The  best  correction  is  contact  with 
the  missionaries  themselves  and  with  their  work.  In 
that  presence  they  cannot  live  a  day. 

In  no  field  of  missionary  effort,  probably,  has  the  work 
of  female  education  assumed  a  higher  form  or  been  pro- 
ductive of  greater  good  than  in  Japan.  The  beginnings 
of  that  work  were  made  in  Yokohama.  I  have  before 
spoken  of  our  own  Ferris  Seminary  and  need  not  here 
repeat.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  visit  the  "  Home  "  of  the 
Woman's  Union  Missionary  Society,  located  on  the  bluff 
not  very  far  from  Ferris.  Begun  by  Mrs.  Pruyn,  and 
for  many  years  conducted  by  Mrs.  Pierson  and  Miss 
Crosby  with  faithful  assistants,  it  has  proved  a  truly 
Christian  home,  "home  of  the  soul,"  as  well,  to  a  large 
number   of   Japan's    fair   daughters    both  of   pure  and 


244  FAR  HENCE 

mixed  blood.  Connected  with  it  is  a  Woman's  School 
for  the  training  of  Christian  women  for  Christian  work, 
under  the  special  charge  of  Mrs.  Pierson,  who  is,  herself, 
an  indefatigable  evangelist. 

One  interesting  incident  of  our  stay  in  this  city  was  a 
visit  we  paid  one  morning  to  a  day  school  presided  over 
by  Miss  Case,  of  the  Presbyterian  Board,  in  the  midst  of 
the  native  city.  Its  pupils,  boys  and  girls,  numberabout 
300,  and  are  drawn  from  the  lower  classes  of  the  people, 
though  each  pays  something  for  instruction.  It  occupies 
the  old  Sumiyoshi  Cho  Church  building,  that  body  having 
been  transferred  to  the  fine  brick  structure,  with  tall 
spire,  known  as  Shiloh  Church,  and  erected  through  the 
instrumentality,  and  largely,  I  believe,  through  the 
liberality,  of  Dr.  Hepburn.  The  attendance  at  the  school 
was  large,  though  smaller  than  usual  on  account  of  the 
prevalence  of  measles.  It  was  a  pleasing  sight  to  see  the 
scholars,  who  were  playing  when  we  arrived,  march  into 
the  assembly  room  with  ordered  step  and  take  their 
places.  A  native  air  was  sung,  the  teacher,  a  youn'g 
Japanese  woman,  beating  time  to  the  music  with  thin 
boards  struck  together  after  the  manner  of  cymbals. 
This  was  followed  by  a  Christian  hymn  and  the  repeti- 
tion in  concert  of  I.  Corinthians  xiii.  and  the  Lord's 
Prayer.  The  children  looked  happy  and  joined  heartily 
in  all  these  exercises,  moved  thereto,  perhaps,  more  by 
the  presence  and  approving  smile  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hep- 
burn, well-known  friends  who  have  taken  a  deep  interest 
in  the  school,  than  of  unknown  strangers. 

It  was  a  rare  pleasure  to  meet  these  honored  and  be- 
loved servants  of  Christ  and  Japan,  whose  coming  ante- 
dated, by  some  weeks,  the  arrival  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Brown. 
At  an  interview  in  their  own  house  I  was  surprised  to 
learn  that  Dr.  Hepburn  had  been  with  David  Abeel  at 
Amoy  fifty  years  ago,  and  delighted  to  hear  his  reminis- 


FAR  HENCE  245 

cences  of  that  early  period  of  missionary  effort  in  China, 
of  the  whole  marvellous  development  of  the  work  in  that 
Empire,  and  the  latter,  but  even  more  marvellous  growth 
in  Japan,  of  which  he  had  been  a  witness,  and  of  the  latter 
an  important  part.  His  dictionary  has  laid  missionaries 
and  foreigners  in  Japan  under  lasting  obligation,  and  his 
medical  skill,  evangelical  kindly  spirit  and  blameless  life, 
have  won  for  him  and  for  the  truths  he  represented  a 
place  in  multitudes  of  hearts. 

"Doctor,"  said  I,  "if  you  can  possibly  put  yourself 
back  again  at  Amoy  with  Abeel,  and  then  look  forward  in 
imagination,  could  you  have  then  conceived  it  possible 
that  the  progress  you  have  yourself  witnessed  would 
have  been  made  in  fifty  years,  in  your  own  lifetime  ?" 

"  It  would  have  been  inconceivable,"  was  his  reply. 
Nor  is  it  possible,  now,  to  conceive  whereunto  the  Church 
of  Christ  in  these  lands  will  grow  in  the  next  fifty  years. 
The  blessing  of  God  upon  the  comparatively  small  effort 
put  forth — small  when  compared  with  the  vastness  of  the 
multitudes  to  be  evangelized,  and  of  the  resources  which 
the  church  in  Christian  lands  has  at  command  for  their 
evangelization— is  promise  as  real  as  any  recorded  in 
Holy  Writ  of  what  may  be  expected  when  the  church  shall 
truly  obey  the  prophetic  injunction:  "  Arise,  shine,  for 
thy  light  is  come,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  is  risen  upon 
thee."  No  conviction  is  stronger  or  more  deeply  lodged 
in  my  mind  than  this,  that  the  triumphs  already  won  for 
and  by  the  Gospel  in  these  Eastern  lands,  and  the  open 
door  of  access  to  their  waiting  and  perishing  millions, 
constitute  God's  challenge  to  His  church  and  add  new 
emphasis  to  the  Redeemer's  last  command. 

No  mention  of  Yokohama  would  be  complete  without 
allusion  to  the  many  glimpses,  under  varying  conditions, 
but  all  of  singular  beauty,  of  the  stately  snow- crowned 
head  of  Fujiyama.     When  sailing  up  and  down  the  coast, 


246  FAR  HENCE 

or  even  when  approaching  it  by  land,  skirting  its  very 
base,  impenetrable  clouds  had  shut  it  from  our  sight. 
But  many  a  charming  vision  was  granted  us  during  our 
stays  at  Yokohama.  At  early  morning,  reflecting  back 
the  rays  of  rising  day,  its  sunny  masses  all  aglow  with 
light,  in  the  clear  noonday  or  the  fading  light  and  glow- 
ing color  of  the  setting  sun,  its  shapely  summit  stood 
above  the  hills  that  intervened,  an  object  of  beauty  and 
impressiveness  never  to  be  forgotten.  One  ceases  to 
wonder  at  the  passion  for  it  cherished  by  the  natives  of 
the  land  it  adorns  and  glorifies.  We  came  to  love  the 
sight  and  look  for  it  with  wonder  and  admiration  some- 
what akin  to  theirs.  And  when,  at  last,  we  had  taken 
leave  of  the  dear  friends  with  whom  we  had  spent  so 
many  happy  days  and  weeks,  and  had  already  left  them 
far  behind  on  our  homeward  way  across  the  sea,  while 
the  evening  shadows  gathered  and  the  lower  land  had 
sunk  from  sight  beneath  the  sea,  there,  above  the  clouds, 
appeared  the  well-known  summit,  and  from  it,  just  as  we 
would  have  wished,  we  received  our  last  farewell. 


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BW7005.3  .C65 

Far  hence  :  a  budget  of  letters  from  our 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00037  5701 


